Sudanese army still control Upper Nile and Unity States- Kiir
By Isaac Vuni
June 24, 2007 (JUBA) — Southern Sudan President said Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) have not yet fully withdrawn from territory of southern Sudan which they occupied prior to signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) on January 9th 2005.
According to CPA, the dateline for SAF to complete their pulling out from southern Sudan territories is July 9th this year.
The Goss president went on saying that militia are also still active in states of Upper Nile, Unity and to some extend in Eastern Equatoria state. Adding that Goss is fighting with the ruling National Congress Party (NCP), partner to SPLM in signing CPA in Kenyan capital Nairobi, to ensure that all these militias either disarmed or they get integrated into northern sector of SAF so that they don’t disturb peace and tranquility of the people of southern Sudan.
As I speak to you today, we also have not yet resolve the problem of Abyei and we are still fighting to establish the administration in Abyei to be managed by Abyei people themselves, president remarks.
Adding that GoSS also have problems of development programs implementation which is a very heavy battle in the administration but appeal to all people to remains patience and to keenly follow every steps of his government that are designed to ensure and restore people’s expectation after 21 years of destructive war that have even destroyed the meager infrastructure in the major towns of Juba, Wau and Malakal of south Sudan.
He noted that since government of southern Sudan was established in 2005, nothing big has been achieved in a period of almost two years but his government was at least able to maintain the stability of the people of south and security is no longer a major problem unlike LRA previously killing and looting in Eastern Equatoria state.
President Mayardit say his government has managed to handle LRA situation that let them to return on the negotiating table and he was hopeful that the warring Ugandan parties will soon reach an agreement to end almost twenty years of terror in northern Uganda with spillover to southern Sudan states of Equatorian.
“If we achieved that, we would have achieved a peace in southern Sudan which could facilitate the return of southern Sudanese refugees and IDPs who are afraid to return back to their homeland because of insecurity.
Nevertheless, President Mayardit says there is need to seek spiritual intervention through prayer so that Almighty God gives strength and wisdom for them to handle the situation up to peaceful conclusion.
President Mayardit advice all southern Sudanese to participate effectively by registering for the coming national population census scheduled for November this year. We do not want our population in southern Sudan to again be estimated approximated tin such a claimed that south is only one third of whole Sudan population. We want all our people to be counted so that we get our right share from the government of national unity in Khartoum, declared Mayardit.
He further reminded the congregation that coming general election maybe held next year or in 2009 as such it, demands for also full participation of every body in the south so that they cheated in creation of constituencies. Adding that the coming referendum is equally the responsibility of the people of south Sudan who should ensure that they get what they had been yearning for even before Sudan became independence.
“This time round, we south Sudanese should not allow somebody to dictated on us rather let us bear in mind that we have two choices either to remain in united Sudan were we are subjected to being second class citizen or we remains an independent state of our own,” declared Mayardit.
President Mayardit caution about division among southern Sudanese over either south to break away or remain in a united Sudan, he said such division should not be an issue of quarrel because everything is in front of individuals south Sudanese to decide.
“If you are a separatist, don’t quarrel with those who want unity of Sudan rather you only wait for that D day of referendum then you go to the ballot boxes and vote for separation,” advice Mayardit.
“If the unionists become the majority, then they would forge the unity of the country but should they become the minority, they will have to follow the separatist and I believe separatists in southern Sudan are more than those seeking to unite Sudan,” observed the president.
Southern Sudan President Salva Kiir Mayardit told the congregation that he has been the Acting President of the republic of Sudan for three weeks when President Omar Hassan al Bashir was outside the country. It was the first time in the history of Sudan that a south Sudanese was left to cat as president of the country.
(ST)