US embassy in Sudan denies misquotation by Reuters

By Wasil Ali

January 28, 2008 (KHARTOUM) — The US embassy in Khartoum issued a statement today denying that its charge d’affaires, Alberto Fernandez, was misquoted by Reuters in an interview conducted last week.

Hours after the embassy declined to comment to Sudan Tribune on the issue of misquotation, its public diplomacy officer Walter Braunohler said in a statement that “every quote of the Chargé d’affaires that appeared in the article was accurate”.

Fernandez told Reuters in an interview that a political crisis over stalled implementation of Sudan’s north-south peace deal and other unfulfilled commitments would directly affect Darfur peace talks due in the coming months.

The Arabic fluent diplomat also said that he was still concerned at the lack of implementation of the peace deal which ended Africa’s longest war in Sudan’s south. He also voiced skepticism that the presidency will resolve the thorny issue of Abyei after years of political wrangling between the North and South.

Sudanese officials who were outraged by the statements summoned Fernandez and told him “not to interfere in the country’s internal affairs”

The official Sudan news agency (SUNA) said that the US diplomat informed foreign ministry officials that he was “misquoted” by Reuter’s reporter Opheera Mcdoom. However the US embassy denied SUNA’s story.

“The embassy has not criticized the contents of the article, as has been reported elsewhere” the statement read.

However it is not clear why the embassy delayed its response to SUNA’s story which was published last Friday. It is likely that the statement was under careful consideration by embassy officials to prevent further escalation with Khartoum while not compromising the credibility of Reuters.

“The United States remains committed to the freedom of the press” the US embassy stressed.

The daily Al-Sahafa reported that the Sudanese government was getting close to declaring Fernandez “persona non-grata” and expelling him. However the newspaper said that “some senior figures” averted the imminent decision.

Relations between Washington and Khartoum have deteriorated in recent weeks in light of Sudan’s refusal to admit containers that belong to the US embassy. The Sudanese government has refused to admit the shipment without payment of custom fees, something which Washington has rejected.

(ST)