‘Govt cannot investigate journalist Allen’s death’- Deputy Minister

Deputy Information Minister Dr. Jacob Maiju Korok briefing the press on Friday. (Photo: Radio Tamazuj)

The deputy minister of information, communication, and postal services on Friday said that the Government of South Sudan cannot investigate the death of British-American journalist Christopher Allen because he was killed in a rebel-controlled area.

Dr. Jacob Maiju Korok was addressing the press after the regular meeting of the council of ministers chaired by President Salva Kiir in Juba.

Allen, aged 26 at the time of his demise, was killed on 26 August 2017 while embedded with the then-rebel SPLA-IO in Central Equatoria State’s Morobo County while covering fighting between rebel and government troops.

Dr. Maiju however said the circumstances of Allen’s death were complicated, making it difficult for the government to investigate.

“I cannot actually comment on that but the incident was a bit tricky and the white journalist was actually killed in the crossfire. It was not meant by South Sudan to go and kill a journalist in the rebel area,” he said. “It is tricky because if the journalist was killed inside the government-controlled area, then the government can investigate, but he was killed on the rebel side.”

“How can they now put the blame on the government and yet it was supposed to be the rebels to investigate because he (Allen) was actually killed in the rebel area,” Minister Maiju queried.

On Friday, the U. S Embassy in Juba issued a statement condemning the remarks made by Information Minister Michael Makuei on Wednesday in which he referred to the slain journalist as a rebel who entered the country illegally.

However, Deputy Information Minister Maiju said the government cannot take responsibility for Makuei’s comments.

“That statement was really that the government cannot take the responsibility for the killing of that journalist so I cannot really put more input on that but Hon. Michael Makuei can shade more light,” he said.

Related to the cabinet, Maiju said the council of ministers also listened to a briefing by Vice President Hussein Abdelbagi Akol about his recent attendance at the UN General Assembly.

The deputy information minister also said that the minister of justice and constitutional affairs, Justice Rueben Madol, presented the Audit Chamber Amendment Bill which was passed by the cabinet.

“The bill encompasses chapters which detail the work of the Audit Chamber,” he said. “The purpose of the bill is to provide the establishment of the National Audit Chamber and also the appointment of the chairperson and the deputies and the other corporate staff and it was passed by the council.”

Maiju also revealed that the cabinet passed a memo on the Convention on the Reduction of Statelessness which seeks to address the issue of statelessness.