Juba, June 9, 2016 (SSNA) — The New York Times has expressed regret over its decision to publish an article which it received from people who claimed that they work for both President Salva kiir and First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar and vows to issue a response.
On Tuesday, the Times published a joint article which it thought was written by South Sudan’s leaders, Kiir and Machar.
In the piece, the two leaders proposed abandonment of hybrid court, arguing that prosecuting those who committed crimes during the civil war could cause even more problems for the violence-wracked nation and suggested that a truth and reconciliation commission is the best option for South Sudan.
The letter has been widely condemned by South Sudanese, human rights organizations, and foreign leaders.
However, The Washington Post on Thursday published an article, saying the Times published a piece which it is not even sure about its authenticity.
“This piece came to us through representatives of the government of South Sudan with assurances that they were working on behalf of both President Kiir and Vice President Machar,” New York Times’s spokeswoman Eileen Murphy said in a statement obtained by the Washington Post.
Murphy reveals that Machar distances himself from the op-ed piece which sparks fierce condemnations from locals and international community and admits that the Times failed to perform its duties.
“Today we learned that Vice President Machar does not agree with the content of the op-ed. We should have sought direct confirmation of the argument of the piece from both parties,” she added.
The New York Times promised an official response regarding its decision to publish the bogus article.
Kiir supporters claim the article is authentic; but Machar’s office calls the piece “fake.”
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Shame on GRSS ‘TGONU’ caused by these so called ‘presidential aidees’. Ateny and Bouy should resign their assignments or be sacked because they have discredited the Nation.
For NY Times information South Sudan is a country run by gangs of thieves and dishonest people including the fake Ambassador who submitted the piece to your media outlet. Thanks for clearing the air.
South Sudan is a country run by brave and honest people . so we can not generalized because of some trickish people.
Those call themselves Presidential aids are one causing all mess and confusions in South Sudan by spreading lies…lies.
Machar is not involve in that mess because he is having a clean sheet on the what had happened in South Sudan.
I know they cannot resign because they do it with the permission from President and all his corrupts inner circles.
May God have mercy on South Sudan.
..so who are you for, if Dr. Machar say no, then it is not authenticated article sorry for you.
It happened in many countries that the legel produres against any heads of states should be done sytstematically in an accordance with national constitution and inline with native judiciary system and limite too much involement of foregne or international media in country political arena . There could be nobody above the law if online politice is not a matter worsening south sudan affairs.
It’s really a shameful acts when we see our sovereignty being ambrassing in front of international by selfish individual working to safe their interest instead to harmonies the nation through judicial procedure.
Good enough the world knows you and the country know your stand a gainst persecution of war criminals.
If anyone needed evidence of how South Sudan is run by liars, corrupt officials and so called diplomats in Washington, the writing is on the wall for all to see now. The corruption in South Sudan is finally on display and even a highly reputed media as The New York Times has fallen for it!
What this has done is that it has unmasked the so called President Salva Kiir to the world and laid bare not just evidence of his corrupting influence in South Sudan, but his toleration for practices of corruption to mislead and allow his relatives and associates to plunder the country and rule with impunity.
South Sudanese should wake up and rid themselves of these failed and visionless leaders with all their relatives in power. This episode has exposed what Kiir and his team is made of, shameless, and unworthy of leadership and public trust. Did Ateny not speak on his behalf with full authority? He could not have had the courage to misrepresent the President and he well knew what he was doing, making blanket claims supported by his President! Disgusting indeed and New York Times is now muddied and marred with Kiir’s effect exposed on the world stage.
Don’t blame the New York Times guys; May be the Times has no idea clue about South Sudan’s politics. The bottom line is that Warrap Thugs ganged-up and told Ateny in Juba and Gordon Buay in Washington, DC, to write an article and send it to the New York Times. These two men must be PUNISHED for South Sudan to fulfill peace implementation. THIS IS ME TELLING THE TRUTH.
There is another evidence for Dr. Maria planned removal from office proof. This also proves to the entire World that South is ruled by a committee of incompetent individuals with Kiir jus used as a mere rubber stamp. South Sudan needs a president not a committee of a tribe for a president.