Sudan president reneged on promise to construct roads in South: GoSS Official

By Isaac Vuni

March 12, 2008 (JUBA) — The Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir has backtracked on his pledges he made during his recent presidential visit to southern Sudan, to construct new roads in the South.

“When we followed up on the promises made by the Al-Bashir we were told to construct the roads using our own money” the minister of Transport in the government of Southern Sudan (Goss) David Deng said.

The GoSS official noted that Al-Bashir vowed to build twenty kilometers each from Juba ring road, Rumbek-Yirol-Shambe, Juba-Mundri, Ayot-Waat-Akobo.

“This is a clear indication that president was only making mere flattering political statements for luring and deceiving southern Sudanese people. What a shame for the Sudanese head of state who does not honor his own words” Deng said in an angry tone.

South Sudan is still slowly recovering from two decades of civil war with the North that killed 2 million people and drove another 4 million from their homes.

Sudan’s First Vice President and president of South Sudan Salva Kiir told the Egyptian daily Al-Ahram last month that the regional government has little money from development.

“The South is dependent on the oil revenues with no other resources. Most of the money is spent on basic services and government civil servants. The leftovers are very small and we can’t use it for development” he stressed.

The SPLM signed a peace deal in with the government of the National Congress Party in January 2005 ending two decades of civil war in Southern Sudan. The peace deal made the SPLM, the ruling party in the south and the NCP the ruling party in the north.

In 2011, southerners will be asked to vote in a referendum on whether they want to be independent or remain part of Sudan.

(ST)