Alfred Taban Logune, one of the most famous and recognizable figures in South Sudan journalism, died on Saturday at the age of 62.
The sad news of his death was announced by his family and journalists.
Anna Nimiriano, editor-in-chief of the Juba Monitor newspaper, told Radio Tamazuj Alfred Taban died after a month-long stay in the hospital in neighboring Uganda.
Nimiriano explained that Taban had experienced a deterioration in his health since last month, without giving further details.
“The hospital has not yet released the medical report,” she said.
The South Sudanese editor expressed her sadness at the veteran journalist’s death this evening.
Social media platforms in South Sudan have been hit with somber posts as journalists mourn the death of Alfred Taban.
Several Sudanese and South Sudanese journalists praised the quality of Taban’s journalistic work throughout his career.
Born in 1957 in Kajo-Keji County, Taban was a broadcast journalist and former BBC correspondent in the Sudanese capital Khartoum.
He was the founder and former editor-in-chief of the Juba Monitor, the leading independent newspaper in South Sudan.
Taban won numerous awards.
He became a chairperson for the press lobby group Association for Media Development in South Sudan (AMDISS).
Taban, who was a fearless critic of the civil war in South Sudan, joined politics in 2017 after his appointment as a Member of Parliament in the national legislative assembly.
In June 2017, he joined the national dialogue process launched by President Salva Kiir after securing the release of several journalists detained by authorities.
Radio Tamazuj extends its deepest condolences to his family, colleagues and friends.