By Bida Elly David
The United States and United Kingdom embassies have again renewed calls for the government of South Sudan to investigate death of Christopher Allen, the American freelancing journalist who died while covering clashes in 2017.
In a statement extended to No.1 Citizen Daily Newspaper yesterday, the two governments noted that as the World press Freedom Day clocks, the government of South Sudan ought to prioritize the call and consider it genuine.
The two governments in the report stated that the government should be credible towards investigating the death of the late Allen and disseminate the investigation finding for public consumption.
“On World Press Freedom Day, the U.S. and U.K. Embassies in Juba renew their calls for the transitional Government of South Sudan to conduct a credible investigation into the death of Christopher Allen and to make the results public. Mr. Allen was a dual American-British national who was killed while covering clashes between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in Opposition (SPLA-IO) on August 26, 2017.
Allen was killed in 2017 while covering fighting between the SPLA-IO and the SSPDF. He was embedded with the SPLA-IO.
Killing of the journalist has triggered a great psychological battle to journalists in the media fraternity across the globe.
Previously, Minister Makuei, while addressing a function to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists, said the government could not investigate Allen’s death and considered him a rebel at the time of his death.
“This man (Allen) entered South Sudan illegally in the first place and that is why I declared in a statement that we have killed a white rebel because he was killed on the side of the rebels,” Makuei said on Wednesday. “Now can we be held answerable or accountable for the death of such a journalist? This is funny and we are being asked to investigate, whom do we investigate now?’’ Makuei formerly said.
The Unite States and United Kingdom with deep concerns remain committed in pushing the government to beef the root cause of Allen’s death.