South Sudan’s investigation into the 2017 death of journalist Christopher Allen has concluded that he was “unintentionally killed as a result of crossfire” during the country’s civil war, supporting earlier government assertions.
The 26-year-old American-British freelance reporter was fatally shot in the head amid a skirmish between the South Sudanese army and rebels in Kaya.
Despite international pressure for an inquiry into Allen’s death, South Sudan’s government launched its investigation in October.
David Charles Ali Bilal, head of the probe committee, stated that the incident occurred during early morning hours, making it challenging to discern combatants. He emphasized that Allen, embedded with rebels to cover the conflict, entered the country illegally and lacked proper identification attire.
The investigation’s findings align with previous government statements denying deliberate targeting of Allen.
Information Minister Michael Makuei maintained that Allen’s killing was not intentional, although individuals on his side were typically regarded as targets. Makuei previously labeled Allen a “white rebel” and accused him of illegal entry.
Reporters Without Borders (RSF) has urged the United States to lead an investigation into Allen’s death, citing alleged war crimes in his targeting and the handling of his remains.
RSF highlighted South Sudan’s poor press freedom record, ranking 118th out of 180 countries, with at least nine journalists killed since 2014.
