User:Crtew/Christopher Allen (journalist)

Christopher Allen (ca. 1991 – 26 August 2017), an American freelance journalist and photographer for Al Jazeera (Qatar), Vice News and The Pennsylvania Gazette (USA), and The Independent and The Telegraph (UK), was killed covering events in Kaya, Yei River State, South Sudan occurring during the South Sudanese Civil War.

Personal
Christopher Allen was raised in the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA. There, he attended Merion Elementary, Bala Cynwyd Middle, and Germantown Friends High School. Once graduated from high school, Allen received a bachelor's degree at the University of Pennsylvania. Afterward, he studied at Leiden University in the Netherlands and obtained a master's degree in European history. His parents, John Allen and Joyce Krajian honored their son on November 4, 2017, at Germantown Friends Meetinghouse in Philadelphia, PA.

Career
After graduating from graduate school in 2014, Christopher Allen began his freelance journalism and photography career in the Ukraine crisis. At this time, he began freelancing for The Telegraph, The Independent, The Pennsylvania Gazette, and Al Jazeera. His most noted work was completed during this time. Allen, one of the first journalists/photographers to be on scene, covered the shooting of Malaysian Airlines Flight 17. In 2015, Allen joined the Warzone Freelance Project (WZF), emphasizing his drive to ensure people were receiving truthful reports of global events.

Death
Prior to Christopher Allen's murder, he had been working alongside the rebel opposition forces in the civil war. Two other journalists accompanied him on the two-week mission. The three reporters had been embedded in a unit of SPLA-IO. These rebels were the last to see Allen before he was shot to death. Before his shooting, Allen had been denied access into Kaya due to his "hostile reporting." The South Sudanese government claims that his illegal crossing made him a "criminal." These officials knew what message would be delivered upon Allen's entrance, and they were determined to stop him.

While reporting and photographing events occurring in the South Sudanese Civil War, Allen was shot in the head by a large bullet. While the size and range of the bullet remains unknown, it has been determined that Allen was targeted. The rebels believe that after seeing the young reporter photographing the fighting, the South Sudan government forces plotted against him. On Saturday, August 26, 2017, the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF) fired shots while retreating from the rebel forces and Allen. Allen, along with 18 other rebels, was killed in this action, compared to 3 government soldiers. When murdered, he wore a media jacket reading "PRESS." The heavy firing caused his rebel colleagues to leave his body, but they managed to grab his camera and equipment bag. After the area had been cleared, Allen's body was taken to a military hospital within the capital of South Sudan, Juba.

The Committee to Protect Journalists (CPJ) has ordered an investigation of Allen's murder. Since 2012, Allen and nine other journalists have been killed in South Sudan, but he remains the first international journalist to be murdered. CPJ suspects the South Sudanese army targeted Allen, but has not confirmed this.

Context
In 2011, South Sudan became an independent country. Shortly after, it fell to the South Sudanese Civil War. The President, Salva Kiir Mayardit, and his troops face the former Vice President, Riek Machar, and his rebel forces. The president leads the Dinka ethnic group of soldiers, which is the largest population of South Sudan. Against them, the rebels remain a part of Nuer, the second largest ethnic group. While a peace accord was completed between these two in August 2015, it quickly fell apart. Upon this, Macher and his forces fled, continuing the war. Since 2013, tens of thousands have been killed. At least 3.5 million people have been displaced. According to Al Jazeera, "The war has created what has been called the world's fastest-growing refugee crisis and both sides of the conflict have been accused of abuses." As refugees become international, the issue does too. In 2016, the United States attempted to have the United Nations Security Council impose a firearms embargo on South Sudan, but did not succeed. According to Business Insider and press freedom groups, "It's one of the harshest climates in the world for journalists. Recently, the government has cracked down on the press, blocking several South Sudan news websites." Numerous South Sudanese journalists have been abused, detained, or denied information. Others have been kicked out of the country altogether. Allen was embedded with the rebel forces for two weeks. Because of this, it remains safe to say, his assignment was extremely dangerous and left him amid endless firing.

Impact
The South Sudanese Civil War had not been the only harsh issues Christopher Allen had witnessed. Prior to this, he had been in Ukraine where he "believed there was an important story to be told...a situation immune to the reductive efforts of media to define and describe it." Allen played a large role in allowing the individual to see the horrifying acts of the war in South Sudan. Pat Hughes, a former Inquirer copy editor claimed, "He had a passion for telling the stories of people touched by war. He went to South Sudan for the same reason all good journalists go to trouble spots: to get the story and bring that story to the world's attention." Allen was aware of the impact he could have on the world. He said, "I want to see history in the making. I don't want to read about history." In a later interview, he stated, "Whether it's the person walking across the playground during a shelling or whether it's the people who fell 10,000 meters in a plane, you quickly become conscious, being here, being in the middle of the conflict, that life is a really fragile thing." John Allen, knew this of his son and said that Christopher was interested in what "makes these folks tick" who were willing to make the ultimate sacrifice for their country. Because Christopher was so dedicated to his work and telling the stories of those affected by war, he not only impacted the warzone, but the world. Without courageous journalists like him, people in different nations would not be aware of the horror that is war. A rebel fighter that wished to remain anonymous proclaimed, "We are sad for his family. He came here to tell our story." These fighters will never forget Allen.

Reactions
After the confirmation of Christopher Allen's death, people reacted strongly. Irina Bokova, the Director-General of UNESCO, claimed, "I condemn the killing of Christopher Allen. In keeping the Geneva Conventions, journalists retain their civilian status in conflict situations. It is therefore the obligation of all parties to protect them."

Contrary to this, CPJ reports that a South Sudan army spokesperson, Lul Ruai Koang stated, "Anybody who comes attacking us with hostile forces will meet his fate." Upon hearing this, Angela Quintal, the CPJ Africa Program Coordinator, argued, "Taking photographs and reporting events is not attacked. It is journalistic work done by civilians, who are protected under international law. We call for a credible, independent investigation into the killing of Christopher Allen so that those responsible can be held to account."

Aside from these reactions, Graham Phillips of The Truth Speaker states, "His death shows just how fierce the fighting is there, and sheds light on a situation which has seen over a million flee their homes, mass death, and the threat of humanitarian crisis for civilians. His death has further seen calls and pressure for peace in the area. All of these reactions have shown the destruction in South Sudan and all the hardships emerging. Allen's killing appears planned and must be pursued.