South Sudan leaders did not sign off New York Times article, aides say

A controversial New York Times article apparently written by South Sudan’s president and first vice-president^[1] was not personally signed off by either man, it has emerged.

On Tuesday, the New York Times published a joint op-ed^[2] bearing the names of President Salva Kiir and his first vice-president, Riek Machar.

In it, the pair – former enemies who are now leading a transitional government designed to end the two-year civil war between their followers^[3] – appeared to call on the world to support a truth and reconciliation commission rather than focus on bringing the perpetrators of the conflict’s many human rights abuses to justice^[4].

Related: Why can't South Sudan have truth and trials? | Sam Jones^[5]

The article recommended an amnesty for those who spoke out about what they had seen or done, adding: “In contrast to reconciliation, disciplinary justice – even if delivered under international law – would destabilise efforts to unite our nation by keeping alive anger and hatred among the people of South Sudan.”^[6]

The article met with condemnation in South Sudan^[7] and abroad^[8]. Both men have been accused by the UN of bearing “command responsibility” for their forces’ actions during the war, and a truth and reconciliation commission and the creation of a hybrid, African Union court with powers to try possible war crimes and crimes against humanity^[9] were part of the peace agreement both men signed last August^[10].

Since the article was published, it has been disavowed by Machar’s spokesman, who said the first vice-president was unlikely to have made such a plea after working to ensure that justice formed an integral part of the peace agreement.

On Friday, Ateny Wek Ateny, a spokesman for Kiir, said that he had signed off the article – which is understood to have been written in cooperation with an international PR firm – on behalf of the president and vice-president. But he said both men had been aware that a text was being drafted.

Related: 'I don't know when I last ate': getting aid to South Sudan's north – in pictures^[11]

Asked whether Kiir and Machar had approved the final copy before it went to the New York Times and had been happy to put their names to it, Ateny told the Guardian: “Actually, what happened is I just told them the idea in the beginning but given the busy schedules that both men have got and that I am already authorised to approve things on their behalf, I did give the New York Times^[12] the sign-off on their behalf.”

James Gatdet, a spokesman for Machar, said the first vice-president had been utterly baffled by the article’s appearance.

“He was never consulted about it; he did not even see the paper. He only learned about it after it was published by the New York Times,” Gadet told the Guardian.

“When I consulted with him after seeing the piece, he told me he was not aware of it and had not been consulted. He was surprised, very surprised. He also told me that [his party] is committed to justice and accountability, so there’s no way they would walk away from this mechanism that is stipulated in the peace agreement.”

In a statement released on Thursday, the New York Times said: “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. 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.”

Ateny said that he had not received any complaints from Machar’s office since the article appeared. He also claimed the piece had been widely misconstrued, saying that far from being an attempt to avoid justice, it had merely been intended to stress the need for reconciliation and healing before the process of accountability could begin.

“Given the fragility of South Sudan, I thought that writing an opinion piece on behalf of the president and the first vice-president would help urge those who would be supportive to transitional justice in South Sudan to set up truth and reconciliation first so that the social fabric is stitched before we go for transitional justice,” he said. “The country is still fragile; the institutions are still weak.”

Ateny said both Kiir and Machar remained absolutely committed to “implementing the peace agreement in letter and spirit”.

At least 50,000 people^[13] are thought to have died since the civil war broke out in December 2013 after Kiir accused Machar of plotting a coup.

In January, an expert panel told the UN security council^[14]: “There is clear and convincing evidence that most of the acts of violence committed during the war, including the targeting of civilians and violations of international humanitarian law and international human rights law, have been directed by or undertaken with the knowledge of senior individuals at the highest levels of the government and within the opposition.”

References

1. ^{^} controversial New York Times article apparently written by South Sudan’s president and first vice-president (www.theguardian.com)
2. ^{^} New York Times published a joint op-ed (www.nytimes.com)
3. ^{^} designed to end the two-year civil war between their followers (www.theguardian.com)
4. ^{^} conflict’s many human rights abuses to justice (www.theguardian.com)
5. ^{^} Why can't South Sudan have truth and trials? | Sam Jones (www.theguardian.com)
6. ^{^} South Sudan (www.theguardian.com)
7. ^{^} condemnation in South Sudan (africanarguments.org)
8. ^{^} abroad (www.dailymail.co.uk)
9. ^{^} creation of a hybrid, African Union court with powers to try possible war crimes and crimes against humanity (www.bbc.co.uk)
10. ^{^} peace agreement both men signed last August (www.theguardian.com)
11. ^{^} 'I don't know when I last ate': getting aid to South Sudan's north – in pictures (www.theguardian.com)
12. ^{^} New York Times (www.theguardian.com)
13. ^{^} At least 50,000 people (www.theguardian.com)
14. ^{^} an expert panel told the UN security council (reliefweb.int)