Player shoots referee after being sent off in South Sudan
By the AFREEQUE newsroom, based on Radio Tamazuj
A football referee was shot in the head during a match in Barboi, Mvolo County, South Sudan, after sending off a player. Western Equatoria State police are searching for the suspect, who reportedly got an assault rifle before shooting, Radio Tamazuj reports.
A football referee was shot in the head on Sunday during a match in the village of Barboi, in Mvolo County, South Sudan. The suspect, a player sent off after receiving a yellow card, is being sought by police in Western Equatoria State, police commissioner Justin Waiwai Bringi told Radio Tamazuj.
According to a member of the referee’s family, he is receiving treatment at a local hospital. After being sent off, the player reportedly went to get an AK-47 before shooting the official. Commissioner Bringi condemned the incident and called on the public to co-operate with the authorities.
Justin Roto, vice-president of the Yambio Football Association, said the organisation had been informed of the shooting by the Mundri Football Association. He described the incident as the first live-ammunition shooting targeting a match official in the region and called for an investigation and the suspect’s arrest.
The incident comes six days after the South Sudanese electoral commission assessed preparations in Yambio, according to its announcement on 20 October. No link between the two events has been established.
