Football referee shot during match in South Sudan
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Eyeradio
Football referee Sabah Tiara, known as J Snake, was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the head during a match in Bar-Bol, Mvolo County, South Sudan. A family member says a soldier shot him after a confrontation on the pitch and that he is in critical condition, Eye Radio reports.
Sabah Tiara, a football referee known by the nickname J Snake, was seriously wounded by a gunshot to the head while officiating a match in the village of Bar-Bol, South Sudan. Zacharia Ben, a family member, told Eye Radio that the referee was in critical condition.
According to Zacharia Ben, an armed man came onto the pitch looking for someone. Witnesses are said to have asked him to move away from the crowd with his weapon. The referee then allegedly put his hand in his pocket, perhaps to take out a red card, before the man threatened him and fired. Ben says the shooter was a soldier deployed by the Lakes State government at a military detention centre in Dulo. This allegation has not been independently verified.
Sabah Tiara’s family is calling for an investigation and open, transparent legal proceedings. Zacharia Ben also urged relatives and community leaders to remain calm while awaiting action from the authorities. Mvolo County had issued no official statement at the time of Eye Radio’s report.
The latest incident follows another referee being shot in South Sudan on 26 October after sending off a player, according to the previous incident.
