Head of Sudan’s referendum commission says process well behind schedule
July 18, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — The head of the body tasked with preparing the country for South Sudan referendum warned that they have little time left before the key vote takes place in January 2011.
It is widely expected that people in South Sudan will choose independence driven by bitterness and mistrust of the Arab-Muslim dominated North. However, the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) headed by president Omer Hassan Al-Bashir pledged to work for unity and keep the country intact.
Earlier this month and after much delay, Bashir swore in the members of the South Sudan Referendum Commission headed by Mohammed Ibrahim Khalil.
Khalil told the pro-government Al-Rayaam newspaper that lack of time remaining to prepare for the referendum is a “major problem” but affirmed that the commission will make necessary efforts to discharge its mandate.
He noted that the constitution gives the commission twenty-four months but that it only has six months at its disposal.
The commission chief stressed that providing security and the environment for conducting the referendum is the responsibility of the NCP & SPLM. He pledged to carry out his duties impartially without any attempts to influence or distort the wishes of Southerners.
A report released by a coalition of two dozen international NGO’s this month have warned that North and south Sudan could go back to war unless they reach agreement on sharing oil revenues and other issues.
They also warned that Sudan is “alarmingly unprepared” for the referendum despite insistence by the NCP & SPLM that it should be held as scheduled even as they still negotiating post-referendum arrangements.
(ST)
Bol Bol
Head of Sudan’s referendum commission says process well behind schedule
This position should be co-chaired by two individuals from both side (North and South). Southerners, especially the GOSS leadership not take chances since we are at critical time more than ever before.
James Mangula
Head of Sudan’s referendum commission says process well behind schedule
What a mockery and pathetic appointment! From the look of his face, one would without doubt settle convinced that Mzee Khalil is too old for such an energy demanding task. Additionally, Khalil despite his lips-service pledges that he would in the execution of his task remain impartial does not convince me enough. If I were allowed to cross examined Khalil’s fitness for this task, I would correctly deduced from his derogatory posture that he is too old for the job. Since I’m just a mere commentator, I would just say let’s give it “a wait and see” attitude whether the old dog will learn a new tricks.
Angelo Achuil
Head of Sudan’s referendum commission says process well behind schedule
“The body tasked with preparing the country for S. Sudan referendum” is headed by an Arab in the North to do the Southern interest? What a JOKE! Did the GoNU failed in failing a neutral figure in the world? I can NOT understand this.
Daniel Juol Nhomngek Geech
Head of Sudan’s referendum commission says process well behind schedule
AN OPEN LETTER TO THE FIRST VICE PRESIDENT OF SUDAN AND PRESIDENT OF SOUTHERN SUDAN, HIS EXCELLENCY SALVA KIIR MAYORDIT.
Before I tell you in this letter what I want you to hear your Excellency, I would like to acknowledge your good works that you that have accomplished since you took power five years ago. However, now we are in a crucial time in our history and this force me to take this independent decision to express my concerns on behalf of Gok Community in Kampala Uganda about the slow progress of the CPA implementation in Sudan and what will be a likely result if you can push the implementation of the CPA in time before the referendum.
Your Excellency, as you and your officials are engaging in talks today to determine what the future of Southern Sudan will be, I would take this opportunity on behalf of Gok Community in Kampala Uganda to tell you that we are very much concerned with the current dragging of feet by the Sudan government to go ahead with the full implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. This is not healthy for our future. What want to remind you is that: procrastination is the thief of time. As a leader of marginalized people of the south, you have to press hard on the Central Government to hurry up with the implementation of the CPA. The goal is at your court.
We are also very much concerned with the issue of Abyei because in future Abyei is going to be cancer in the southern Sudan economic, social and political setting. Something should be done before going to the referendum. This is a major of concern not only to the Gok Community but the whole Southern Sudanese given the role that the individuals from Abyei had played during the liberation war struggle. It will be a betrayal to them if we, other Southern Sudanese forget them today, in this hour of need!
Your Excellency, the future of the South is hanging in a balance as the black clouds of doubt and uncertainty is cropping into the view of Southern Sudanese concerning the implementation of the CPA. Today, I want to take this opportunity on behalf of Gok Community to alert you to pay attention to the vocal voices of the southern youth who have fallen in love with Separation. The youth are trying by all means to chant that illusive unity which Northerners seem to favour at the expense of the freedom of Southern Sudanese.
I know the limitation that the CPA has put on you that the leadership in the SPLM Government should not campaign openly. Your Excellency, that problem should not be a great deal, you may take other options like providing the youth who are not signatories in the CPA with enough resources and enough security to campaign for the rights to self-determination for all Southern Sudanese.
Your Excellency, I am very much glad to tell you if you never heard or seen it that the people of Southern Sudan are ripe for their own nation; they are not ready to forfeit such high degree of aspirations. They do not want to see History being rewound in Juba this time again like what happened in 1947 and 1972 in Juba and Addis-Ababa respectively. “Failure to learn from History makes History repeats itself!”
Mr. President, you have to be mindful of the disadvantaged people of the south, the problems in the South today are man-made problems, of which you and I know very well. It is not in plan of God to create people to suffer endlessly, and therefore, since we are God’s creation, God wants us to enjoy that freedom He dreams for his people. We are not born to suffer forever, nor our children. Our children are not born to serve as slaves or Second Class citizens as many people like saying in the South. Southern Sudan is endowed with several minerals that can enable it to develop at faster rate, if there is no external interference. We hope you will help us to get our nation!
Please, Mr. President, allow me to caution you on relying so much on International decision about what Southern Sudan should be. Instead, you should rely on your ordinary people’s decisions. Any attempt to violate their aspirations without helping them to achieve, the history will judge you for that and the world will know it through them.
Such International Bodies like African Union and United Nations Organization sometime rely heavily on strong parties, leaving suffering people at bay. It is a time now for a common person to have a greater say in the future of Southern Sudan. This is they are always the ones who bear a greater suffering from any errors made in history by the politics in Sudan.
Your Excellency, I have specifically addressed this letter to you, and not any other leader in the south, because I know you are the head and the head is supposed to show the direction where the whole body should go. Whatever mistake that you make to take us back to the old History, we shall blame you forever. No one should deter you from accepting our opinions of supporting and achieving our dreams of independent Sudan. Go ooooo.
Your Excellency, I may repeat the phrases of my old friend from The USA in 19th Century who once said, “We are met on a great battle field of that war, it is rather for us t be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honoured dead to take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion to that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain; that this nation of southern Sudan, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.”
I admire this part of his speech I have given above because if we need to avoid any prospect of repeating history in future, then we have to remember the history at all the times. For instance, in the USA, there is a TOMB OF THE UNKNOWN SOLDIERS WHO DIED during the First World War. That was 1914-1918 and that Tomb was enacted in the constitution as a means of honouring the soldiers who gave their lives for the good of Americans during the First World War.
“On Memorial Day, 1921, four unknowns were exhumed from four World War I American cemeteries in France. U.S. Army Sgt. Edward F. Younger, who was wounded in combat, highly decorated for valor and received the Distinguished Service Cross in “The Great War” selected the Unknown Soldier of World War I from four identical caskets at the city hall in Châlons-en-Champagne, France, on October 24, 1921.[7]Younger selected the unknown by placing a spray of white roses on one of the caskets. He chose the third casket from the left. The chosen Unknown Soldier was transported to the United States aboard USS Olympia. Those remaining were interred in the Meuse Argonne Cemetery, France.” From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Such high level of patriotism should be adopted in Southern Sudan to remember our honoured dead who shed their blood in defense of Southern Sudan. I almost fainted in some years back when I heard that the SPLA-Day was going to be dropped in history of Sudan. Whoever came up with such a horrible decision must have been an enemy to the people of Southern Sudan.
This was because as I remembered how many lives had been wasted by Southern Sudanese to fight for their freedom it was a great loss. Many youth and elderly braved the hostile environment and tribes who were bought by our enemy that time to go to Ethiopia and later came back with renewed spirit to die for their own nation. Today we are talking of forming a new nation in Africa and this was due to their efforts. Therefore, if we are not mindful of them then we shall have allowed such strong individuals to die in vain. Shall we allow such strong individuals to die in vain? We must fight for our freedom and destiny.
Listen to the voices behind your desk, behind your room and along the way from state house to the office, and to that meeting where the destiny and fate of southern Sudan is going to be decided. Widows are crying for their husbands who were taken before reaching full maturity. Listen to the SPLA/M Songs: “Loi Bai Kadi Keen Reech Baai Buk Nhiim Cien Te Yen Oh Col Mee mee mee” their dreams as this song entails should be achieved.
We are told your Excellency ‘that we are weak to form a nation; unable to cope with the formidable adversary of the new nationhood, but when shall we be stronger? Will it be next week, or will it be when we are totally disarmed, shall we gather strength by irresolution and inaction? Shall we acquire the means of effectual resistance, by lying supinely on our backs and hugging the delusive phantom of hope, until our enemies shall have bound us head and foot’
I am not advocating for war but if need be when other options have totally failed then we have to resort into such a primal justification approach to acquire justice and achieve our means. I can remember very well the Book by our father, Abel Abier entitled: TOO MANY AGREEMENTS DISHONOURED. He puts right in this statement on his book but he failed to see this during the Addis Ababa Agreement, and it was that mistake that was made there, which still haunts us today! We should not allow such thing to happen again.
The moment we go for other options rather than going for outright separation and complete independence for the South, we shall regret such a decision forever. In addition, the world will never forgive us for such a fundamental error in history.
The viable option that I can see to solve all the current problems in the south is to ensure that Southern Sudan becomes an independent Nation in 2011. All these Mr. President are your responsibilities to guard and direct the citizens of the South into taking right decisions as far as the future of the South is concerned.
Your Excellency, to conclude my letter to you I would like you to remember the simple sayings which go “Popular opinions, on subjects not palpable to sense, are often true but seldom or never the whole truth—— the strongest man is the one who stands alone” Listen to the voice of God through the Church leaders in Juba, the voice of the war martyrs through widows and Orphans, the voice of all southern Sudanese through the youth. We are with you and we will be with you all the times. May God bless you, may God bless Southern Sudan and all Southern Sudanese people!!!
Yours truly, by Juol Nhomngek Geech, a Southern Sudanese High school student writing on the behalf of the Gok Community in Kampala Uganda.
American Missile.
Head of Sudan’s referendum commission says process well behind schedule
Dear People.
the Head of Sudan’s referendum Commission has say something that the time is against us.
Southerners,let us all go and vote wholeheartedly for our freedom and peace with prosperity.it is all our duties to see this referendum go through.
God bless southerners.
Splm Political Activist.
Majok Akotdit.