JUBA, Aug. 27 (Xinhua) -- South Sudan said Sunday the slain U.S. journalist was fighting alongside rebels (SPLA-IO) allied to former First Vice President Riek Machar.
South Sudan army (SPLA) deputy spokesman Col. Santo Domic Chol said Christopher Allen was among the 16 rebel fighters killed during the fighting on Saturday afternoon, between government troops and rebels in the border town of Kaya located South East of the capital near the Ugandan border.
The man (Allen) was killed in the frontline together with the (SPLA-IO) rebels. The battle went on for one hour and during the mop up the body of the white man was found, Domic revealed in Juba.
"He is a white rebel because he was killed alongside rebels while he was holding a gun," he added.
Domic disclosed that they had identified the slain American journalist after cross examining his corpse and details in Juba.
He added that Allen's death vindicates and reinforces earlier suspicions by the South Sudanese authorities about some western powers backing rebels in the more than three years of violence that has killed tens of thousands and pushed millions as refugees in neighbouring countries.
Domic added further that this sensitive matter remains the work of the political class in Juba to deal with in collaboration with international diplomats.
South Sudan descended into violence in December 2013 after political dispute between President Kiir and his former deputy Machar led to fighting that pitted mostly Dinka ethnic soldiers loyal to Kiir against Machar's Nuer ethnic group.
The 2015 peace agreement to end the violence was again violated in July 2016 when the rival factions resumed fighting in the capital forcing Machar to flee into exile.
