Peers call for inquiry into death of journalist shot in South Sudan
PEERS have called for an independent investigation into the killing of Britishamerican journalist Christopher Allen in South Sudan.
Mr Allen was 26 when he was shot dead in fighting between government and rebel forces while reporting on the country’s civil war in 2017.
Yesterday Lord Black of Brentwood called on the Government to ensure justice is delivered over the “vicious killing of Christopher Allen by government soldiers as he did his job – bearing witness to conflict”.
He said it was “intolerable” that there has been no independent investigation into Mr Allen’s “brutal murder”.
Lord Ahmad of Wimbledon, a Foreign Office minister, said: “We are working very closely with the US and continue to press South Sudanese authorities on this particular case.”
Baroness Northover said the Foreign and Commonwealth Office (FCO) must pursue Ms Allen’s case “more vigorously”. She said: “Christopher was a dual UK-US national, but the FCO did not follow the correct procedures when his family requested help.
“I would like to know what formal investigation of that failing in the FCO has occurred and also whether the noble lord will agree to meet the family to take this case forward.”
Lord Ahmad responded: “I assure you if there have been any shortcomings in our approach we always take this issue very seriously.”
Mr Allen was a freelance reporter who had worked for The Daily Telegraph among other publications.
South Sudan has refused calls to hold an investigation into his death and said Mr Allen was caught in the crossfire.
Mr Allen’s family, however, believe he may have been deliberately killed after he was seen filming the conflict.
Jeremy Bliss, Mr Allen’s cousin, said: “It is good to see the Foreign Office finally speaking out on Christopher’s case, however it is time for actions to match those words.
“Our family needs answers about what happened and how his case was mishandled afterwards. These answers are necessary to the pursuit of justice, and to ensure this never happens to another family again.”
Lord Black, who is the deputy chairman of the Telegraph Media Group, said the failure to properly investigate murders of journalists around the world “simply fuels further attacks”.
He added: “Over the last two years, 125 journalists have been murdered in pursuit of their work, often in direct retaliation for uncovering wrongdoing.
“And, shockingly, virtually all these killings have gone unpunished as democracies around the world fail properly to investigate them and bring the perpetrators to justice.”