Isaac Kuach Duoth, who formerly served as commissioner of Nyirol County in South Sudan’s Jonglei State, died after a long battle with an illness on Wednesday, officials and his family said.

Speaking to Radio Tamazuj this afternoon, Makuei Puok Bai, a relative of the deceased, said the late former commissioner died on Wednesday morning at the age of 63.

“Hon. Isaac Kuach Duoth died at 6:30 a.m. at a hospital in Juba. According to medical reports, he suffered a brain stroke, leading to his death, but he had been sick for over a year. He had also served as the speaker of the defunct Bieh State from 2017 to 2020,” Bol said. “His death is a big loss to the entire people of Nyirol and Jonglei State.”

For his part, James Bol Makuei, the Nyirol County commissioner, said the demise of Former Commissioner Kuach was shocking.

“We learned about his untimely death on Wednesday morning. His death is a big loss to the people of Pading, where he was born, the entire Nyirol County, and South Sudan. During his tenure as a commissioner of Nyirol from 2008 to 2010, he pioneered many developmental projects,” Makuei said. 

At the time of his death, Duoth was a senior officer in the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces (SSPDF).