Dear Dr. Rita Abrahamsen,
We wish to respond to your letter to George Clooney of 15 September 2016. We write not to defend Mr. Clooney but to correct some assumptions used to critique his work on behalf of South Sudan.
We were particularly troubled by your suggestion that South Sudan’s independence resulted solely, or mainly from the work of international actors; or some kind of ‘dumb stunt’ by a Holywood celebrity which has gone awry. We don’t deny that countless individuals, institutions and countries supported our tortuous route to liberty. We deeply appreciate the material and moral support we received.
