Sudan: Independent body warns of future conflict over Abyei

By Julius N. Uma

December 09, 2010 (JUBA) – The two parities signatory to Sudan’s 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) should strive to ensure that the January 9, 2011 referendum is timely-held in a transparent, free and fair manner, an independent body comprising of eminent global leaders said in a communiqué.

The December 8 statement entitled, “Sudan: The Elders call on all parties to respect the will of the people”, issued with just one month to the referendum, also called for urgent measures needed to monitor and protect civilians at risk of violence.

Founded in 2007, The Elders are an independent group of global leaders, brought together by Nelson Mandela, who offer their collective influence and experience to support peace-building, help address major causes of human suffering and promote the shared interests of humanity.

South Africa’s Desmond Tutu, a former Nobel Prize winner for peace currently chairs The Elders. Other members include Martti Ahtisaari, Kofi Annan, Ela Bhatt, Lakhdar Brahimi, Gro Brundtland, Fernando Henrique Cardoso, Jimmy Carter, Graça Machel, and Mary Robinson, while Mandela and Aung San Suu Kyi are honorary Elders.

The referendum is a key part of the 2005 CPA, which ended over two-decades of a bloody civil war fought between north and south.

In the statement, the group urges Sudanese leaders to come to an agreement regarding the citizenship status of Southern Sudanese in the North, in the event of secession.

Member of the international community, it says, must put measures in place to monitor and protect civilians and to engage with all the parties to ensure that violence does not occur, both during the referendum and in the coming months.

OIL-PRODUCING ABYEI REFERENDUM ISSUE

The issue of the Abyei referendum, further says the communiqué, requires a credible and sustainable solution to the current deadlock and that if not properly addressed could be flashpoint for future conflict.

“This is a critical time for the people of Sudan and the African continent. I pray that voting will be peaceful, but if things go badly, it’s likely that there will be further conflict. We have to do all we can to prevent that. The people have suffered enough,” Tutu said in the statement.

He added, “The signatories and international guarantors of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) have special responsibility to ensure the referendum is carried out fairly and peacefully, as a critical element of the peace plan.”

On his part, the former US President Jimmy Carter said: “We call upon the signatories of the CPA and the referendum authorities to hold the referendum in a genuine, credible and transparent manner, so as to respect the aspirations of the people of Southern Sudan, and help Northern and Southern Sudan work together to build a peaceful future. No matter the outcome of the referendum, the people of Northern and Southern Sudan will remain close partners.”

Graça Machel, children and women’s rights activist, said: “It is crucial that the will of the people is respected. Sudan’s leaders throughout the country should protect and uphold the rights of all voters, including the rights of those who are casting their votes outside Sudan. All registered voters should be able to participate without obstruction.”

Meanwhile, Kofi Anan, the former UN Secretary-General said it was important for the international community to adopt “a comprehensive and unified strategy”, backed by clear international leadership essential for addressing the notable post-referendum negotiation challenges.

(ST)