CORRECTED: General Olony not returning to Juba before appointment

JUBA – SPLM-IO’s gubernatorial nominee for the country’s oil-rich Upper Nile state, General Johnson Olony Thabo, is not returning to the country’s capital Juba as reported earlier by Sudans Post, an audit of an interview with an opposition spokesman has revealed.

In its earlier report on Tuesday, Sudans Post quoted SPLM-IO Director of Information and Public Relations Puok Both Baluang as saying that: “General Johnson Olony will come to Juba as it was agreed upon by the Presidency during their fourth meeting that General Johnson will be appointed during Upper Nile Conference.”

However, following an audit of the recorded interview, Sudans Post found that Baluang was misquoted and instead meant to say that General Johnson Olony Thabo would be appoint before the conference could commence so that he return to the country to participate in the Upper Nile conference.

“General Johnson Olony will come to Juba as it was agreed upon by the Presidency during their fourth meeting that he will be appointed before the Upper Nile Conference,” Baluang stated, adding that the senior opposition commander’s return to participate in the conference was crucial for peace among the communities of Upper Nile state.

Olony was nominated by Machar on June 24, but President refused to appoint him, accusing the embattled opposition commander of being “a warmonger” who he said would jeopardize reconciliation efforts between the bitter Upper Nile state communities torn apart by the ethnic violence that has engulfed the country for seven years.

Lack of clarity to the recorded phone interview caused by unstable network is to blame for the mistake.