UN regrets death of U.S journalist in South Sudan

JUBA, Aug. 28 — The UN Mission in South Sudan (UNMISS) on Monday
regretted the killing of U.S journalist Christopher Allen during fighting
in the town of Kaya, near the border with Uganda, in circumstances that
remain unclear.

“We would like to pass on our deepest condolences to the family,
colleagues, and friends of Christopher Allen for their loss. His death
while reporting on the conflict in South Sudan is a tragedy,” Head of
UNMISS and Special Representative of the Secretary-General, David Shearer
said in a statement issued in Juba. However, UNMISS said Allen who was
killed on Saturday is the tenth journalist to have been murdered in South
Sudan since 2012. “UNMISS has repeatedly stated that any attacks on
journalists are unacceptable and it calls on all parties to the ongoing
conflict in South Sudan to respect the freedom of the press,” Shearer
disclosed.

Several journalists have since been killed during the ongoing more than
three years of violence in the youngest nation in unclear circumstances
that have not been conclusively investigated, amid international
condemnation. According to the South Sudanese army (SPLA) deputy spokesman
Col. Santo Domic Chol, the slain journalist was killed on Saturday
afternoon, alongside 16 (SPLA-IO) rebel fighters allied to former First
Vice President Riek Machar in the border town located south of the capital
near the Uganda and Democratic Republic of Congo border.

Chol also allegedly said Allen was killed on the frontline while holding a
gun as government troops engaged in fight with rebels that lasted several
hours, before his corpse was found and evacuated to Juba.”He is a white
rebel because he was killed alongside rebels while he was holding a gun,”
Chol told Xinhua on Sunday. South Sudan descended into violence in December
2013 after political dispute between President Kiir and his former deputy
Machar led to fighting that pitted mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to
Kiir against Machar’s Nuer ethnic group. The 2015 peace agreement to end
the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions
resumed fighting in the capital forcing Machar to flee into exile. The
conflict has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions that
have sought refuge in neighbouring countries. – XINHUA