The Union of Journalists of South Sudan (UJOSS) gathered journalists at the Al Jazeera office in Juba on Wednesday to show solidarity with Al Jazeera team and the late journalist’s family. In his statement to journalists who gathered at Al Jazeera office in Juba on Wednesday, UJOSS President Oyet Patrick said, “To Al Jazeera as an institution, the media fraternity in South Sudan and the journalists in South Sudan would like to pass their condolences. To the family of Shireen please accept our condolences. Her killing is a crime and as such it should be investigated and those who have committed this crime should be brought to book. Her killing is a violation of a fundamental human right and it sets a bad precedent that a journalist can be killed while on duty and up to now we have not seen anybody arrested,” UJOSS President Oyet Patrick expressed.Oyet added:”This is a concern to us journalists because for us journalists we have no tribe, we have no race, we have no region ,we are not Arabs, we are not Africans, we are not Americans, we are not Europeans, and we are not Asians, but we are a group of people who tell stories to the public and we deserve to be protected while doing our job,” he said.While, Al Jazeera Chief Correspondent in South Sudan, Mr. Haisam Awet commended UJOSS and the journalists of South Sudan for their solidarity.”I thank the journalists of South Sudan and the Union of journalists of South Sudan including all media houses for standing in solidarity,” he said.Majur Chol Khor, a journalist in South Sudan shared his deepest condolences to the family of the late journalist.”First, I would like to acknowledge and appreciate the role being played by our president of the union of journalists of South Sudan by calling this press conference. Today as we gather here as journalists of South Sudan is to stand in solidarity and pay our tributes to our colleague from Al Jazeera late Shireen Abu who lost her life while on duty. As journalists of South Sudan, this is a great loss and we have not only lost a journalist but we also lost a mother,” he said.Rania Sadiq, a female journalist working with South Sudan Broadcasting Corporation (SSBC) said,”We are gathered here with the Union of journalists to show solidarity for the killing of Shireen Abu Akhle. We feel that the death of Shireen only gives us strength as journalists. It sends us a message that we should not keep silent as journalists when we are oppressed and we should continue to fight for any violations against us journalists. ,” Sadiq said.
