The national minister of information has retracted accusation against a foreign journalist saying his statement was figurative.
Barnaba Marial Benjamin accused Alan Boswell of being “in the pay of Khartoum” after he reported that President Salva Kiir Mayardit apologized to President Barak Obama for not admitting that South Sudan supports the SPLM-North rebels.Mr Boswell covers East Africa for McClatchy Company.
The minister wrote in a letter to McClatchy president, Patrick Talamante, that his comments about Mr Boswell “were intended as a figurative not literal description.”
Dr Marial said he retracted the statement of Mr Boswell being in the pay of Khartoum “for the sake of understanding and harmony.”
He said he did not intend to use inflammatory words against Mr Boswell and McClatchy Company.
Dr Marial added that McClatchy and its representatives are always welcome in South Sudan.