A senior journalist and editor of the Voice of America’s (VOA) South Sudan in Focus program died Thursday evening.
According to his colleague Waakhe Simon Wudu, the late Charlton Doki met his death in a tragic road accident.
“Dear colleagues, with a broken and heavy heart, I would like to sadly inform you all that our senior and veteran journalist, the coordinator and editor of the VOA South Sudan in Focus Program, Mr. Charlton Doki, has passed during the late hours of Thursday (14 December 2023),” Wudu wrote. “He was involved in an accident in the capital, Juba. There is a follow-up taking place right now to establish more facts surrounding his death.”
He said the body is currently lying in the Mortuary at the Juba Funeral Home.
On Friday afternoon, Doki’s family put out a statement announcing his demise and revealed that he died in hospital shortly after being in a motorcycle accident.
“With a broken heart and soul, the family of Late Yoane Lonyong would like to sadly announce the death of their son, Charlton Doki Lonyong. Charlton died shortly after at Juba Teaching Hospital after an accident that involved two motorbikes-crush on 14 December 2023. The accident happened at around 11 p.m. at the roundabout located next to Equity Bank, Munuki branch,” the statement signed by a family representative, Alfred George Jame, read in part. “Until his death, Charlton was the Coordinator and Editor of Voice of America or VOA – South Sudan in Focus Program.”
“Mourners are currently gathering at Rev. Elujai Rume’s home at Hai Dar El Salaam in Juba located east of Merkolong Primary School,” he added.
For her part, Sonya Laurence Green, VOA News Center, Supervisory Assignments Editor, and the former director of VOA Africa, Doki was smart and courageous and trained reporters who excelled in their work.
“Charlton was that rare sort of person who really had all the best qualities of a good journalist-he was smart, courageous, and principled, and he identified and trained a whole network of reporters who produced a high-quality radio show-VOA’s South Sudan in Focus-every day in a country that has suffered decades of civil strife and difficult governance, so that’s an incredible legacy,” she eulogized. “Also, Charlton was always humble, and kind and fun to be with on his personal time. We spent time together in Juba, and also here at VOA headquarters in Washington DC, where he worked with the whole team.”
“It’s a sad day for so many of his colleagues here and in South Sudan,” Laurence added.