Police line

A soldier guarding the premisses of  Jonglei State Governor accidentally shot and wounded his forehead while inspecting a cocked gun on Monday, according to Denay Chagor’s press office.

According to a statement shared on the official Facebook page of the Governor’s office,  the incident occurred at 7:30 pm.

The statement did not name the soldier who sustained a minor injury on his forehead.

“At approximately 7:30 pm local time, a soldier in the Governor’s compound inspected his firearm and it fired itself, leaving him with a minor wound on his forehead,” the statement partially read.

The office of the governor dismissed reports on social media associating it with an assassination attempt.

“We want to let the citizens of Jonglei State and beyond know that nothing has occurred as it has been shared on social media. Thus, the incident is not linked in any way to assassination attempts,” it added.

When contacted, Jonglei Police Commissioner Major General Elia Costa confirmed the incident.

He said the soldier with a self-inflicted wound he identified as 30-year-old Gathep Lul Gual was found in a room by some people and was taken to hospital for treatment.

“There is an incident that happened in the house of His Excellency the Governor of Jonglei State, one of his bodyguards by the name Gathep Lul Gual, 30 years old was in his room.

“What happened, some people entered the room and found that he shot himself and they took him to the hospital and he is now getting treatment.

But the reason for the shooting, according to General Costa, is unclear.

“The reason for the shooting is not clear because he is the one who can tell us what happened.”