NCP favors Sudan’s unity in 2011 referendum: official

December 26, 2009 (KHARTOUM) – The Sudanese ruling National Congress Party (NCP) stressed today that it is working towards making the choice of unity a dominant one among Southerners in the 2011 referendum.

Mohamed Mandoor Al-Mahdi the NCP’s VP in Khartoum state, said that the party’s leadership is in favor of Sudan’s unity, saying that the discussions with the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) focused on the required percentage of voters in the referendum to declare the south an independent state.

The NCP official told reporters today that the NCP sought to increase the percentage to bolster hopes that unity option will be possible adding that this issue was thoroughly discussed with the ex-Southern rebel group.

Both parties in the National Unity government have been deadlocked for most of this year on the referendum law particularly over the turnout and the ‘Yes’ vote in favor of independence.

Initially the NCP wanted between 75%-90% yes vote and a two thirds turnout arguing that the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) says that the secession choice should be made difficult.

However, following stiff resistance from the SPLM, the dominant party agreed on a simple majority result for secession and a 60% turnout.

This week the national assembly adopted the referendum bill but NCP legislators modified it by cancelling an article stipulating that southerners who reside outside the region will have to register and vote only in South Sudan.

The SPLM walked out on the voting session to protest the change introduced to the bill threatening escalation if the move is not reversed. The US administration criticized the NCP saying it is reneging on the CPA.

The bill is scheduled to be sent back to the parliament to remove the modifications made by the NCP.

Al-Mahdi denied reports that the national assembly will look into the entire bill but rather at the article in dispute which the parties sat down and agreed on its resolution.

He acknowledged that the referendum law makes secession easier noting that some SPLM figures have publicly expressed their opinions in favor of independence.

On Friday the Ezekiel Gatkuoth, head of South Sudan’s mission to the United States told the Washington Times that the US financially is helping South Sudan to be a viable state should it decide to secede in 2011.

The NCP official slammed the SPLM questioning the fate of $8 billion sent to the south to be spent on development adding that this would have contributed towards making unity attractive.

Source:sudantribune.com

Police investigates suspicious death of Sudanese man in Calgary

Police units on the scene where body was found in an apartment in the 900 block of 38 Street N.E. in the city's Marlborough neighbourhood (Note: not connected to the killing scene for Saturday's death)

Photograph by: Sherri Zickefoose, Calgary Herald

(Calgary AB NSV) - Calgary police are searching for evidence linked to a suspicious death of a Sudanese man on Saturday morning.

Homicide investigators are in the preliminary stages of the investigation and few details can be released at this time. They are waiting for autopsy results.

However, The New Sudan Vision can independently confirm that the victim of Saturday's killing is a Sudanese immigrant, identified as Deng Manyuon (Deng Achol).

NSV understands that Deng left his residence on Friday evening to visit with friends, where they played dominoes.

The last person to see him alive says he and another man drove him off at his residence at around 12 midnight.

The witness said Deng opened his door and told them in Dinka that "You can go now guys. I have arrived."

At approximately 1:25 AM police responded to a domestic complaint, where they found a deceased male lying dead on a roadway near his residence.

Police have not established what transpired in Deng's residence and how the victim's bloody body was found in the snow outside his home.

Deng lived with his wife and his one-year-old son.

Source:newsudanvision.com/

AU Security Council call for peace talks in SUDAN

The members of the Security Council have called on all parties to engage in peace talks in Sudan.

Their call came after they received a briefing from former South African President Thabo Mbeki and African Union Commission Chairperson Jean Ping on 21 December on the report and recommendations of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel on Darfur, and subsequent decisions of the African Union Peace and Security Council.

The members of the Security Council welcomed the report and underlined their appreciation for the balanced and comprehensive nature of the recommendations to promote peace, justice and reconciliation in Darfur and Sudan as a whole.

According to a press statement, “They looked forward to the implementation of a holistic approach to the problems facing Sudan and supported efforts aimed at the peaceful and democratic transformation of Sudan, in line with the provisions of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.”

The members of the Security Council agreed with the report that the causes and consequences of the conflict in Darfur have yet to be addressed.

They reiterated their support for United Nations Mission in the Sudan (UNMIS) and the African Union-United Nations Hybrid Operation in Darfur (UNAMID), and for the work of the United Nations-African Union Joint Chief Mediator, Djibril Bassolé, to promote a lasting political settlement for Darfur.

They also reiterated their call for all parties that have not yet done so to fully commit to and participate in peace talks.

The members of the Security Council called for the Government of Sudan and other parties in Sudan and the region to work with President Mbeki and his colleagues in coordination with the international community as appropriate.

Source:gazettebw.com/