UN spokesman Martin Nesirky sought to clarify remarks UN chief Ban Ki-moon made in an interview in Addis Ababa Saturday in which he said the world body "will work toward (Sudan's) national unity."
He said in a statement that Ban "made clear that the UNITED NATIONS would work to support the parties in their efforts to 'make unity attractive' as well as the exercise by the people of southern Sudan of their right to self-determination in a referendum."
"In this connection, he made clear that the United Nations would work to avoid any potential negative consequences (conflict) following next year's referendum," Nesirky added.
"Any suggestion that the United Nations may have taken a position that may prejudge the outcome of such a referendum is incorrect."
A referendum on independence for southern Sudan is to be held in January 2011, and Ban said in the interview it was important for the United Nations and the African Union (AU) to be prepared, whatever the result.
"Now whatever the outcome may be, the United Nations has a very important obligation, responsibility, together with the African Union that there needs to be a peace maintained," Ban said.
"The United Nations position is that we will work toward the national unity, basically, but that depends upon how the people of south Sudan will decide through this referendum," the UN chief said.
Ban's reference to national unity in the interview was meant to signal support for a clause of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between Sudan's Muslim north and largely Christian south that ended a 21-year civil war.
"We need to ensure that this referendum should be taken in accordance with the CPA," the UN boss said.
The agreement stated that "the successful implementation of the CPA shall provide a model for good governance in the Sudan that will help create a solid basis to preserve peace and make unity attractive."
It allowed the creation of a semi-autonomous government for the south and paved the way for April's presidential, parliamentary and regional elections, as well as next year's referendum.
Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir said last week that Khartoum would recognize the independence of southern Sudan if it chose to secede in the referendum.
North and south are due to draw the 2,100 kilometre (1,300 mile) border between the two regions this year -- a delicate issue because of the significant oil reserves in the area.
Ban said it was vital that the elections and the referendum were carried out in a credible, transparent way.
"There are many fundamentally important issues like border demarcation, sharing wealth, citizenship. All these fundamentally important issues should be resolved so that the referendum can be held and so that we can ensure that the situation will be peaceful," he said.
Source:AFP
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