South Sudan says president not connected to sanctioned businessmanJUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan denied on Friday that a businessman sanctioned by the United States was an adviser to President Salva Kiir, and said the decision to blacklist him was based on misleading information.   Benjamin Bol Mel was among several individuals from different countries whom the United States placed under sanctions on Thursday.  It said Mel had served as Kiir s principal financial adviser as well as his private secretary, and that ABMC Thai-South Sudan Construction Company Limited, of which Mel is president, was suspected of getting preferential treatment in government contracts. Ateny Wek Ateny, Kiir s spokesman, said the assertion that Mel had business ties with the president  is not true , and also denied that there were any official relations between the two men.   He is not an adviser to the president and he should be treated as an individual.   Ateny said most of the information the United States used to blacklist South Sudan officials was  misleading . South Sudan has been battered by a four-year civil war triggered by a disagreement between Kiir and his then-deputy, Riek Machar.  The fighting has left tens of thousands dead, displaced about a quarter of the population and left the oil-dependent economy moribund.  Rights activists have accused mostly government troops of killings, mass rapes, and looting and destroying property.  Several serving or former South Sudanese officials are already under U.S. sanctions for alleged roles in the conflict, including Malek Reuben Riak Rengu, the army s deputy chief of the defense staff for logistics; former army chief Paul Malong; and Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth.  The U.S. Embassy in South Sudan said on Friday that Mel was being punished for his  role, and that of his business network, in facilitating corruption . It said Mel was exploiting his connections with Kiir  to regularly engage in large scale government contracts worth millions of dollars for construction work that was not completed . worldnews
south sudan says president connected sanctioned businessmanjuba reuters south sudan denied friday businessman sanctioned united states adviser president silva kir said decision blacklist based misleading information benjamin bol mel among several individuals different countries united states placed sanctions thursday it said mel served kir principal financial adviser well private secretary abc sudan construction company limited mel president suspected getting preferential treatment government contracts any wek any kir spokesman said assertion mel business ties president true also denied official relations two men he adviser president treated individual any said information united states used blacklist south sudan officials misleading south sudan battered civil war triggered disagreement kir risk char the fighting left tens thousands dead displaced quarter population left economy moribund rights activists accused mostly government troops killings mass rapes looting destroying property several serving former south sudanese officials already sanctions alleged roles conflict including male ruben risk range army deputy chief defense staff logistics former army chief paul along information minister michael make let the embassy south sudan said friday mel punished role business network facilitating corruption it said mel exploiting connections kir regularly engage large scale government contracts worth millions dollars construction work completed worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: South Sudan says president not connected to sanctioned businessmanJUBA (Reuters) - South Sudan denied on Friday that a businessman sanctioned by the United States was an adviser to President Salva Kiir, and said the decision to blacklist him was based on misleading information.   Benjamin Bol Mel was among several individuals from different countries whom the United States placed under sanctions on Thursday.  It said Mel had served as Kiir s principal financial adviser as well as his private secretary, and that ABMC Thai-South Sudan Construction Company Limited, of which Mel is president, was suspected of getting preferential treatment in government contracts. Ateny Wek Ateny, Kiir s spokesman, said the assertion that Mel had business ties with the president  is not true , and also denied that there were any official relations between the two men.   He is not an adviser to the president and he should be treated as an individual.   Ateny said most of the information the United States used to blacklist South Sudan officials was  misleading . South Sudan has been battered by a four-year civil war triggered by a disagreement between Kiir and his then-deputy, Riek Machar.  The fighting has left tens of thousands dead, displaced about a quarter of the population and left the oil-dependent economy moribund.  Rights activists have accused mostly government troops of killings, mass rapes, and looting and destroying property.  Several serving or former South Sudanese officials are already under U.S. sanctions for alleged roles in the conflict, including Malek Reuben Riak Rengu, the army s deputy chief of the defense staff for logistics; former army chief Paul Malong; and Information Minister Michael Makuei Lueth.  The U.S. Embassy in South Sudan said on Friday that Mel was being punished for his  role, and that of his business network, in facilitating corruption . It said Mel was exploiting his connections with Kiir  to regularly engage in large scale government contracts worth millions of dollars for construction work that was not completed . worldnews
Your task is to classify the provided input as real or fake news. Label 0 is meant for fake news, Label 1 is for real news. TEXT: south sudan says president connected sanctioned businessmanjuba reuters south sudan denied friday businessman sanctioned united states adviser president silva kir said decision blacklist based misleading information benjamin bol mel among several individuals different countries united states placed sanctions thursday it said mel served kir principal financial adviser well private secretary abc sudan construction company limited mel president suspected getting preferential treatment government contracts any wek any kir spokesman said assertion mel business ties president true also denied official relations two men he adviser president treated individual any said information united states used blacklist south sudan officials misleading south sudan battered civil war triggered disagreement kir risk char the fighting left tens thousands dead displaced quarter population left economy moribund rights activists accused mostly government troops killings mass rapes looting destroying property several serving former south sudanese officials already sanctions alleged roles conflict including male ruben risk range army deputy chief defense staff logistics former army chief paul along information minister michael make let the embassy south sudan said friday mel punished role business network facilitating corruption it said mel exploiting connections kir regularly engage large scale government contracts worth millions dollars construction work completed worldnews