Map of Eastern Equatoria State. | Courtesy

A 70-year-old man has died in Torit County of Eastern Equatoria State, says the commissioner, more than a week after being beaten by a mob who accused him of averting rain in the drought-stricken area.

Torit Commissioner Atari Jacob said security officers rescued the man was recused from a mob attack by security officials in Labaluwa village on July 7^th.

Commissioner Atari says villagers believe that the victim identified as Marcelo Ogwana performed witchcraft and averted rain.

The official says Ogwana was mysteriously found dead in his house on Saturday.

Commissioner Atari said a medical report revealed Ogwana died from the wounds he sustained during the lynching.

He spoke to Eye-radio via a telephone interview from Toirt town this morning.

“The Police officer requested the youth to release the old man to go to Torit for further treatment, but the youth refused to release him.”

“To our dismay, we came to release Muzee died in his own house three days later. The body was brought to the hospital for postmortem, but the medical report indicated Muzee succumbed to beating. So that’s what happened.”

Atari is calling on the community to desist from negative traditional beliefs, saying rain is a natural occurrence and that global warming has affected climatic conditions.

“After his beating is in Torit there’s no rain. Today is the fifth day since he was beaten there’s no rain. This is to prove that it was a mistake to beat the old Man because we’ve not received rain up to now.”

This is not the first time a rainmaker has been lynched in the state.

In September 2022, a rainmaker was killed by a mob and his dead body burned to ashes for allegedly failing to bring rain in Mohina Village of Ikotos County.