Sudan referendum must go ahead

Only a year is left before southern Sudan is due to hold a referendum on independence – a key provision of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended a decades-long civil war that left two million dead. Since then, the tragedy in Darfur has overshadowed the tension in the south. Now Sudan and the world have no time to lose in acting to save the peace.

It was never certain that a referendum would take place at all. Such predictability is precluded by the violent regime of Sudan’s president, Omar al-Bashir – who was indicted on genocide charges by the International Criminal Court last year – and the fact that a vote will probably favour secession.
But any attempt to prevent the referendum or pre-empt its outcome would immediately reignite the civil war. It must go ahead, even if a vote for secession will challenge both Sudan and the outside world. The best that can be hoped for is an orderly transition should secession indeed be the outcome. Managing such a transition must now be the aim of Sudanese politicians and the international community.

The conflict is made worse by the presence of oil in the south, which raises the stakes in whether the south is controlled from Khartoum or Juba.

Another wild card is Mr Bashir’s indictment. The Sudanese army’s crimes in Darfur amply justified the ICC’s warrant. But justice does not always provide the luxury of also creating good political incentives. Mr Bashir may want to undermine the referendum unless he can exact a price in the form of regained international legitimacy.

And yet, the peace treaty is working, however imperfectly. There has been no shortage of clashes and tensions, but mechanisms for resolving them peacefully have grown in strength. Last July, the permanent court of arbitration in the Hague ruled to split the disputed Abiey province, an oil-producing region claimed by both the north and the south. Promisingly, both said they would accept the ruling. And in December, a deal was reached that the south could secede if a simple majority of a 60 per cent turnout agreed.

The world must help Sudan steer through this process – without taking advantage of it. Above all, this applies to China, which is deeply embroiled in its oil sector. Preparations for the legal mess of an eventual secession cannot wait.

For the sake of their people and the credibility of future peace treaties Sudanese leaders must stick to the CPA’s terms. On this war-torn continent, its success is vital.

Source:ft.com/

As UN Spins Statements on Sudan Separatism, Ban's Stance on Sri Lanka Recalled

UNITED NATIONS, February 2 -- Following a protest of the UN in Juba, South Sudan which included calls for "Ban Ki-moon [to] repent before judgment," the UN belated rushed to argue that Mr. Ban was misquoted by AFP about disfavoring a vote for self-determination by the South Sudanese.

Ban's Associate Spokesman Farhan Haq came in late for Tuesday noon briefing at the UN in New York, read a statement then began to leave the podium without taking any questions. Inner City Press called out, will you take questions later? When he did, later, the UN did not transcribe it.

But Inner City Press asked Haq both what the UN says Ban told AFP, and how Ban's statement about making unity attractive does not indicate a preference. Haq argued that this language is from the CPA. He said he would later provide Ban's actually words to those interested. Video here, from Minute 1:50.

When Inner City Press went to Haq's office before six p.m. on Tuesday, it was closed. The Deputy Spokesperson handed Inner City Press a print out in which AFP had dutifully modified the quote. This was taken at face value.

But also in Haq's begrudging Q &A period, when Inner City Press asked about UN vehicles stolen in Darfur, Haq answered that this would not undermine the UN's "relationship" with "military leaders of Sudan." Video here, from Minute 3:33.

Ban Ki-moon, whether due to personal beliefs or by letting others in his administration take the lead, has elsewhere come down firmly on the side of central governments over minorities seeking autonomy.



Protest of UN and Ban in South Sudan, Tribune


During the Sri Lankan bloodbath on the beach of 2009, for example, he and his closest advisors were seen as doing little to stop the Rajapaksa regime in Colombo from bombing civilians in norther Sri Lanka, to crush "separatism."

This is not irrelevant from consideration of Ban Ki-moon's statements and attitudes about Sudan. You can make AFP run a correction, then dodge and not transcribe questions, but the issue remains and will be pursued. Watch this site.

Source:innercitypress.com/

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Sudan Parl't to vote on referendum law

The office of Sudan National Congress Party says the dispute between the ruling party and Sudan People's Liberation Movement about referendum on Southern independence, concerns the participation of the southern who live outside the region.

The head of the office, Ghazi Salah al-din, released on Monday the news in a statement, a copy of which was received by Al-Alam.

The statement said that the removal of the clause 3 of the article 27 on referendum law, created a lot of disagreements between the two parties.

According to this clause, those Sudanese citizens who belong to southern Sudan ethnic groups and have not had permanent residence since January 1956, do not have rights to participate in the referendum.

Sudan's parliament was due to vote again on Monday on the referendum law.

"We agreed on the fact that the law on the referendum will be resubmitted to parliament on Monday to be adopted with the article that had been removed," said Riek Mashar of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement.

On Tuesday, MPs from the SPLM and other southern parties walked out in protest at a new clause allowing diaspora southerners -- including those in the north who could be subject to northern influence -- to cast absentee ballots

Source:alalam.ir/