Christopher Allen’s killing: US, UK renews call for credible investigation

JUBA, MAY 2, 2023 (SUDANS POST) – The embassies of the United States and the United Kingdom in South Sudan on Tuesday renewed their calls for South Sudan’s government to conduct a credible investigation into the death of Christopher Allen.

The two embassies made this call ahead of World Press Freedom Day.

“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,” read part of a statement issued on Tuesday.

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) in Western Equatoria state in August 2017.

He was reportedly embedded with rebels during an offensive on government position at Kaya town, and is the only international journalist to be killed in South Sudan.

Since Allen’s death, accounts surrounding what happened remain unclear.

In his address in Juba during the celebration of International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists on 2, November 2022, Makuei was quoted by the media as saying that Mr.  Allen was “a white rebel killed on the side of the rebels.”

“I declared in a statement that we have killed a white rebel because he was killed on the side of the rebel. Now, can we be answerable or accountable for the death of such a journalist who knew that he entered South Sudan illegally and decided to be with the rebels who are fighting the government of South Sudan,” Makuei said.