South Sudan journalist shot dead

By

Peter Louis

Last Friday, journalists in the South Sudanese capital of Juba announced that they will for a period of three days mourn their colleague, reporter Peter Julius Moi, who was shot and killed. Most newspaper and radio station staff will not be running their usual services as a respect to him.

Moi, who worked with the independent Corporative newspaper in Juba, was shot on Wednesday night as he headed home after work. Residents of the area where he was shot, in a field southwest of the capital, said Moi was shot with two bullets in the back. They said none of his belongings, including his mobile phone, had been taken.

Government officials and police were not available for comment regarding Moi’s killing.

Six other journalists were killed in January when unknown people in the western Bahr el Ghazal region ambushed them.

Oliver Modi, chairman of the South Sudan Union of Journalists, said “It is very serious that, this year, Peter is number seven, and was killed in cold blood.”

Security personnel without notice or a court warrant have also closed several newspapers and broadcast stations.

The body of the late Moi was taken on Friday morning to his home village in Kajo-Keji County in the Central Equatoria state where he will be laid to rest.

Meanwhile the Director-General of UNESCO, Irina Bokova, today called for an investigation into the killing of newspaper journalist Peter Moi Julius in Juba on 19th August.

“I condemn the killing of journalist Peter Moi Julius,” the Director-General said. “Citizens rely on the media to make informed choices, which is why journalists must be able to practice their profession in safe conditions. I urge the authorities to investigate this case thoroughly in the interest of press freedom and rule of law.”

The Director-General of UNESCO issued statements on the killing of media workers in line with Resolution 29 adopted by UNESCO Member States at the Organisation’s General Conference of 1997, entitled “Condemnation of Violence against Journalists.”

Peter Louis

Peter Louis works as a freelance Videographer and Journalist in the Republic of South Sudan. He previously worked for Ebony TV, South Sudan Radio and South Sudan TV, Wau.