Expert writer Eric Reeves apologizes for predicting false coup in Juba

July 15, 2016 (JUBA) – An expert writer on Sudan and South Sudan, Professor Eric Reeves, has apologized for posting a message which predicted that a coup was to be staged in Juba on Monday, 11 July 2016.

Reeves, a US citizen and also based in the United States, on 10 July posted and tweeted a message, alleging that he had sufficient evidence that First Vice President, Riek Machar, was going to lead a coup on Monday, 11 July, 2016, to overthrow President Salva Kiir’s government.

The message immediately attracted fierce criticism from Machar’s spokesperson who characterized Reeves as “a prophet of doom”, accusing him of trying on false allegation to incite further violence which already erupted on Friday, 8 July, at the Presidential Palace in Juba.

In his response on Thursday, 14 July, on a post on his website, titled, “A Retraction: Concerning Riek Machar and a possible coup in Juba,” Professor Reeves said he apologized for his “irresponsible” message.

“I am herewith retracting my brief Web posting of July 10, 2016, specifically the claim that there was sufficient evidence in my possession to characterize the situation in Juba and elsewhere in Sudan reflecting an incipient coup, led by Riek Machar. The evidence as I had and have it is insufficient to justify such a characterization, and I deeply regret posting without fuller evidence in hand,” Reeves wrote on Thursday.

“It was irresponsible, and I accept that characterization,” he added.

Reeves however continued to justify the source of his allegation, saying a lot of information he had based his prediction on were coming from Juba.

“A great deal of what I referred to was information coming from sources on the ground in Juba, particularly the nature and specifics of the violence that engulfed the city,” he said.

(ST)