US urges speedy referendum arrangements as lawmaker calls for replacing Sudan envoy
May 5, 2010 (WASHINGTON) — The US today has warned that time is running out for Sudan to iron out details for the 2011 referendum in the semi-autonomous region of the South.
“There’s no time to waste. There’s a lot of very complex and important issues that have to be resolved – border demarcation, how to resolve and share energy resources within Sudan” assistant US Secretary of State Philip Crowley told reporters today.
The US special envoy Scott Gration is in Sudan this week meeting with senior officials in Khartoum and Juba a week after elections were concluded seeking to quickly implement a crucial piece of the fragile 2005 north-south Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
“That’s Scott’s message in the region this week. We face a very steep hill towards the referendum in January,” Crowley told said.
“And should the south vote to secede, it’s only six months from that point to where you have the emergence of a new country,” he added.
Under the CPA, the Sudanese are set to hold a referendum in January on whether the mainly Christian and animists in the south will remain part of Sudan, which is dominated by the majority Arabs and Muslims in the north.
It is widely expected that Southerners emerging bitter after two decades of civil war that claimed 2 million lives mostly through hunger and disease will opt for secession even though many countries in the region are opposed to it.
“We have to be prepared for a vote that will lead to a new country in January 2011,” Crowley said. “That is a very distinct possibility.”
Yesterday, the Assessment and Evaluation Commission (AEC) chief Derek Plumbly stressed that the 2011 referendum should be held on time and not be delayed like the recent elections which were rescheduled for over a year.
Plumbly said that “the voter registration process [for the referendum] is very important because the right to participate in the referendum is not automatic, there are ethnic criteria. It’s a deeper process,”.
The British diplomat said that the NCP & SPLM post-referendum arrangements should be resolved before the referendum including sharing of resources.
On Tuesday, the Sudanese foreign minister Deng Alor said that 80% of the North-South border demarcation process has been completed though some remaining details need a political decision to resolve.
In a related issue a veteran member of Congress made an implicit call for removing president Obama’s special envoy to Sudan.
“Just last week, six respected NGOs that are intimately involved in Sudan advocacy and genocide-prevention ran compelling ads in The Washington Post and Politico calling for Secretary Clinton and [US] Ambassador [to United Nations Susan] Rice to exercise personal and sustained leadership on Sudan in the face of a “stalemated policy” and waning U.S. credibility as a mediator” US Republican lawmaker Frank Wolf said at a press conference today.
“In that same vein, today I join that growing chorus of voices in calling on the president to empower Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Ambassador Susan Rice to take control of the languishing Sudan policy. They should oversee quarterly deputies’ meetings to ensure options for consequences are on the table. In fact, I call on the president himself to exercise leadership in this regard, consistent with the explicit campaign promises he made about Sudan…promises which to date ring hollow.” Wolf added.
Wolf said he was troubled by Gration’s remarks that no evidence supports Sudan’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism despite flow of arms from the country into the hands of Hamas in control of Palestinian Gaza strip.
“I believe that this administration’s engagement with Sudan to date, under the leadership of General Gration, and with the apparent blessing of the president, has failed to recognize the true nature of Bashir and the NCP” the US lawmaker.
However, the US administration was quick to dismiss calls for removing Gration saying that he has “the full confidence of the Administration and the Secretary of State”.
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Gat nyaraan
US urges speedy referendum arrangements as lawmaker calls for replacing Sudan envoy
I know that both secretary Clinton, and Suzan Rice are hawks in the Obama adminstration. handing the sudan file to them may create unwanted disturbances, they will mix key isues such as terrorism, human rights, Darfur problem,and ICC arrest warrant with CPA implementation. they (Clinton &Rice)will also try to act agressively toward Bashir government then that will cause the north to revenge may be by abrogating the CPA.
yazB
US urges speedy referendum arrangements as lawmaker calls for replacing Sudan envoy
Colin Powell has recently been called by the White House to give a post elections appraisal of the CPA. He pointed that the US policy can not yet decide if they wish to look after the Egg or the Hen in a mention to the US ‘confidential’ Sudan policy. Apparently the ‘confidential’ bit is all about the US interests.
1- The US wants to have a leverage to limit the Chinese apetite for Mineral resources in Africa without the recourse to US stock markets. Sudan is best suited to do so, specially when allowed to produce a sizable oil output in 2012. China is relectuant to go into micro politics in the Sudan. Stable Oil Supply is their main issue
2- The US Army has been demanding since it got the ok for an African Command to place AFRICOM ‘The US fleet for Afica’ Command Centre in the West Sudan Desert of North Kordufan. Hence the Darfur issue has to be resloved asap. This is actually the main task for Gration before he moves to NASA next year he needs to secure this.
3- US Oil companies are putting a heavy pressure on the White House to kick off bidding for Oil exploration in North Sudan similar to the European Union move to allow European oil companies to bid in Nov 2010.
The bottom line is if Sudan is going to be allowed to produce 2.5-3 million bpd of oil by 2015, 70% of this will have to be sold via the US stock markets.
The US have made it clear to the SPLM that the US does not wish to see an inpdendant state in South Sudan as much as they want to see the SPLM as a spear of change in the entire Sudan and use the referandum results wisely as the ultimate leverage to weaken the NCP grip in the country.
This will mean when the referendum is completed early next year with eligible votes to bless a separation the SPLM is likely to choose to secure convieniant union arrangement ‘probably confederal’ in return for new general elections in 2012 but under the direct supervision (control) of the US to yeild a SPLM led cabinet. This will ensure that the NCP is softly removed from the power grip but still remains dilligent in the process of strengthening the US poiciies in the country as they (NCP) are best suited to do so from experience.
Politics is just not straightfoward as we sometime would like it to be
julius mowanga
US urges speedy referendum arrangements as lawmaker calls for replacing Sudan envoy
Nyarrang you are 100% right in your analyzis,but its up to our leaders,the one who stole our votes in the recent election,to determine our future.
USA polices towards Sudan, has never been changed ,once the American interests is our mineral resources,especially the Oil and the Uranium.
The rest of us SouthernSudanese,take the matter as if the American concerned about us for whatever reason,but we have to remeber Reagan Adminstration was ready and proposed to ex Pr; Jaffar Nemeri,to supply him with the most sofisticated weapons to quench the rebllion of SPLA/M.
SO THE DEVIL IS ONE BUT WITH A DIFFERENT SUITE THIS TIME.