South Sudanese journalist and Radio manager, John Gatluak Manguet Nhial
was killed in the late afternoon of July 11, during the recent violence
that erupted in the country’s capital, Juba, dealing another devastating
blow to the country’s embattled press. He was 32 years old.
“Being a journalist in South Sudan is risking one’s life,” John said in
an interview last year. “But I have dedicated myself to serving my
community through radio as a watchdog, informing them about what the
politicians are doing once the citizens elect them to power.”
Jennifer Cobb, a spokeswoman for Internews, a U.S.-funded organization
that assists radio stations in South Sudan, confirmed to the Associated
Press yesterday that Gatluak was killed Monday at the compound of the
upscale Terrain Hotel, where he had gone for safety after he was briefly
arrested Friday night.
The Rev. John Chuol, a representative of Gatluak’s family, said the
32-year-old journalist was targeted because he is a member of the Nuer
tribe.
“We received a phone call from one of John’s colleagues… saying they
were attacked in their workplace and they were asked to go out and let
people from other tribes go. When they saw that John was a Nuer they
shot him dead immediately,” Chuol told Radio Tamazuj.
John leaves behind a wife, Rebecca Chol Ngudeng Teny, and three children, including a new baby born the day after he was killed.
Undetered, John passionately believed in what he was doing and was
becoming one of South Sudan’s future leaders, in a country in need of
good leadership. He committed his life to helping the people of South
Sudan. When the war broke out in 2013, he was working with Internews as
the station coordinator at Naath FM in Leer. In the months that
followed, his station was at the centre of fighting that spread from
Juba into the states. He led his team as they faced intimidation from
the opposition forces.
“He was a heroic reporter and a leader, widely loved and embraced in his
community,” said Nigel Ballard. Internews Director of Community Radio. ”
He had great integrity, would never rush to judgement and was always
fair. John was quiet, gentle and a deep thinker whose actions were
informed by his commitments to open and indepependent journalism.”
Gatluak had distinctive Nuer facial scars on his forehead, making his
ethnicity easily identifiable. A photo of his body reportedly shows that
he was shot in the face and lying on his back, his arms outstretched.
“When I look at the photo, it looks like he raised his hands up as someone who is surrendering,” said the source.
South Sudanese journalists expressed grief and shock at the murder of their colleague. Emmanuel Monychol said in a group email,
“When I saw this email my heart became so weak I could not open it… he
was a very kind person, friendly and God-fearing man. Our hearts go out
to his family in their time of sorrow. It’s hard to believe this,” said
Alfred Taban. “God save us from all that is happening.”
John Gatluak was the second media worker killed in Juba this past week. A
cameraman working in the Office of the Presidency was reportedly killed
in crossfire. A number of other civilian casualties have been reported
in Juba, including some killed deliberately and others caught in
crossfire.
Source: Internews/ South Sudan News/Radio Tamazuj/AP
