Journalist Christopher Allen with SPLA-IO soldiers ion Yondu days before the battle for Kaya in which he was killed. (Courtesy photo)

UK, U.S. Embassies welcome formation of committee to Investigate death of journalist Christopher Allen

A Joint statement by the Embassies of the United States of America and of the United Kingdom in Juba on Friday applauded the formation of a committee to investigate the death of slain journalist Christopher Allen

A Joint statement by the Embassies of the United States of America and of the United Kingdom in Juba on Friday applauded the formation of a committee to investigate the death of slain journalist Christopher Allen

The statement said that the transitional government’s formation of a committee to investigate the death of Allen more than six years after his death on 26 August 2017 is a long-awaited step in the right direction. 

“Mr. Allen was a dual national American-British citizen who was killed while working as a journalist covering clashes between the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-in Opposition (SPLA-IO),” the statement read. “The formation of a committee must be followed by a thorough investigation that is credible.  Its findings must be made public and lead to accountability.”

In November 2022, the U.S. Embassy in Juba strongly condemned comments made by National Information Minister Michael Makuei regarding the killing of Allen in 2017.

Allen was killed in 2017 while covering fighting between the SPLA-IO and the SSPDF. He was embedded with the SPLA-IO.

Minister Makuei, while addressing a function to mark the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes against Journalists in November last year, 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 at the time. “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?”

However, the U.S. Embassy immediately condemned the information minister’s remarks.

“The U.S. Embassy condemns in the strongest terms the 2 November comments of Michael Makuei, the Minister of Information, regarding Christopher Allen, an American journalist killed while covering clashes between the South Sudan People’s Defense Forces and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army-In Opposition in August 2017,” the statement read.

According to the U.S. Mission, Minister Makuei’s remarks would be irresponsible and reprehensible at any time but are all the more so as they were made on the International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists.

“The U.S. Embassy is seeking clarification as to whether these comments represent the position of the Government of South Sudan,” the statement said. “The U.S. Embassy once again renews its calls to the Government of South Sudan to conduct a credible inquiry into Mr. Allen’s death and to share its findings with Mr. Allen’s family.”