Open letter to President Kiir: Fire Ateny Wek from ‘Presidential Spokesperson’
3 min readOpen letter requesting the President of the Republic of South Sudan to relieve Mr. Ateny Awek Ateny from his position as Presidential Spokesperson
Your Excellency,
June 22, 2016 (SSB) —- Two recent incidents threaten the reputation and integrity of your Office. On 7 June, your Spokesperson Ateny Awek Ateny caused to be published in the New York Times an Op-Ed purportedly signed by you and 1st Vice President Riek Machar.
The Op-Ed called for the scrapping of the planned Hybrid Court to try those suspected of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the recently concluded civil war. Instead, blanket amnesty, irrespective of remorse, would be offered to those who testify before a planned truth commission.
After the Op-Ed appeared, the Office of the 1st Vice President denied knowledge of it and disowned authorship. Yesterday local media quoted Mr. Ateny Awek Ateny as saying that the US, UK and Norway-also known as the Troika—wrote to you demanding the reversal of your 2015 decision to create 28 new states.
Allegedly, the Troika also demanded the removal of the Finance Minister and Central Bank Governor as pre-conditions for financial assistance. Today, the Troika released a statement denying that it sent such a letter.
I am not in a position to establish with certainty the facts surrounding these incidents. However, a comprehensive, accurate, independent and transparent investigation into the circumstances that led to Spokesperson Ateny Awek Ateny’s actions seems paramount in order to discover the truth and prevent further embarrassment in the eyes of the international community.
In the meantime, Mr. Ateny Awek Ateny should step aside to allow an impartial investigation.
The Office of the President is the expression of the moral character of a country and should be above disrepute. The Office of the Spokesperson of the President represents the voice and thinking of the President and must be occupied by someone of high integrity and moral standing.
Relieving Mr. Ateny Awek Ateny of his duties may not undo the damage already done to the integrity of your Office and the image of the country, but it will restore confidence that you do not tolerate such acts.
Yours truly,
Dr. Remember Miamingi
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