South Sudan presidential spokesman says misquoted over Troika letter
June 21, 2016 (JUBA) – Press Secretary in the office of the South Sudanese President, Salva Kiir, said he was misquoted on an alleged letter written to the Presidency by Troika member states, claiming to have demanded removal of finance minister and central bank governor in order to release financial assistant to the transitional government.
He also denied reports attributed to him to have claimed that members of the Troika countries also asked for revocation of the controversial 28 states unilaterally established by president Kiir despite a peace agreement he signed last year based on 10 states.
“The news which came from the Eye Radio, echoed by Sudantribune.com that I had confirmed the receipt of the letter written by the Troika asking the President to sack the Minister of Finance and the Governor of Central Bank are not true. Rather, I just reacted to the question put to me by the Eye Radio’s reporter about the statement from Troika pertinent to the subject matter,” said Ateny in his statement.
Ateny did not however reveal what the statement from Troika was pertinent to the “subject” whether in form of a letter or spoken.
Eye Radio on Monday quoted Ateny to have revealed that Troika had asked the interim government to make changes by removing finance minister, David Deng Athorbei from his position and central bank governor, Kornelio Koryom Mayiik, if they wanted donors to finance the new unity government.
The comments attributed to the presidential aide prompted the British Embassy in Juba through its press officer, Charles Luganya Ronyo, to release a statement denying the allegation of the letter.
. “The Troika wishes to clarify that the allegation of having sent a letter demanding changes to Government positions is false,” Ronyo said in a release he circulated on Tuesday morning.
“The Troika and its partners remain committed to working with the Transitional Government of National Unity, and all its Ministers, to ensure a coherent approach to the economic challenges faces by South Sudan,” he adds in the statement which prompted Ateny to claim he was misquoted.
Ateny urged the media to check their audios on how the news of the alleged letter written by the Troika did come to their studios in the first place before seeking reaction.
(ST)