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U.S. calls for timely and credible referendum in South Sudan

June 10, 2010 (WASHINGTON) — The First Vice President of Sudan and president of South Sudan government met in Nairobi today with his U.S. counterpart Joe Biden who called for holding the referendum as scheduled early next year.

US Vice President Joe Biden (R) meets with Southern Sudan President Salva Kiir on June 9, 2010 (AFP)
US Vice President Joe Biden (R) meets with Southern Sudan President Salva Kiir on June 9, 2010 (AFP)
A statement by the White House said that Biden ” reaffirmed the strong U.S. commitment to seeing the referendum on Southern self-determination occur on time and in a manner that credibly reflects the will of the Southern Sudanese people”.

“The Vice President recognized the many challenges faced in referendum preparations and underscored the need for Southern leadership and international mobilization in ensuring that all necessary measures are in place for a peaceful outcome that is internationally recognized, and offered U.S. political, financial, and technical support to that end”.

The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) brokered by the U.S. and other regional partners ended two decades of war in Sudan by offering southern Sudan a measure of autonomy until the future of the country is determined in a referendum set for January 2011.

Many contentious post-referendum issues remain pending including demarcation of borders, national debt, oil, water and nationality. Analysts and diplomats alike have warned that time is running out to resolve those items pointing to the possibility of a new war between North and the South if details are not ironed out.

The U.S. based Foreign Policy magazine said that purpose of Biden’s tour in Africa which includes Egypt, Kenya and South Africa is focused primarily on Sudan.

Biden urged Southerners to immediately begin negotiations on post-referendum arrangements with Khartoum and pledged continued U.S. assistance to the professionalization of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in recognition of the serious threats to security faced by the South.

(ST)

10 Comments

  • Gatwech
    Gatwech

    U.S. calls for timely and credible referendum in South Sudan
    This means Deng Alor Kuol’s sell out agreement on unity is condemned by the American Vice President, Joe Biden. Is Kiir distancing himself from Deng Alor and the likes?

    Reply
  • Mike Mike
    Mike Mike

    U.S. calls for timely and credible referendum in South Sudan
    Please give the promise and makesure you fulfill it and don,t just do it and later stay away without doing any thing at it. These Arab who are sharing the country with us are not good people they think many time aday on something of which if you propose that referendum to be fair and credible then we the South Sudanese we need your support in order for it to go successfully.

    Reply
  • superior Junibi
    superior Junibi

    U.S. calls for timely and credible referendum in South Sudan
    Its a great news that U.S support the timely excution of South Sudan referendum, but extreme challenges connected to this event could jeopardized peace and even lead to war.

    1)Referendum will be hijacked by NCP or anti-referendum elements such as AU and UN. Based on several statements aired by this illed organizations, one of which is “South Sudan independence is a threat to a regional security”(AU) and “South Sudan independence will make it a most impoverished state in the Region”(UN). SPLM need to step up their conscous presents though out the voting centers. They need to be aware of these posible hijackers and make sure they isolate UN and AU not to use their voting technologies.
    And for GOD sake if the above nightmare does not happened,

    2)Border demarcation is inevitably going to lead us to war.
    Take my words from now, ARABS WILL NEVER GIVE SOUTH SUDAN INDEPENDENCE AND OIL AT THE SAME TIME!!!!
    Border demarcation has been critically a hot potato, which both parties has been avoiding by all costs. Al Bashir frequently threaten the Border demarcation commision if they use the 1956 border, TO PUT IT IN THE CUP AND MIXED it WITH WATER AND DRINK IT!!!! lol. That statement alone convinced us that Al Bashir is ready to do anything if he does not get anything from South Sudan. Now it seemed they are not going to avoid this time and I hope they should be ready to face each other or work out some posible deal that will avoid them go to WAR.

    3)Achieving independent South Sudan will cost us oil!!!!!!!!
    Arab do not need South Sudan land or the people, they need oil and resources. Since South Sudan is the center of wealth and natural resources, NCP will never let South Sudan go with out take upto 60% of South Sudan oil and resources.
    Based on our Southern government stand and their military superiority, analysts believed that we South Sudan current government lead by Dr. Mayardit will avoid war by all cost.

    Dr Mayardit and Dr. Riek are currently not prepared for war if they lost referendum, so they must have silently workedout some deal.
    This deal is Oil which analysts believe could be the only solution as we are speaking that can prevent both parties go back to war. One evident Southern folks should belief this the statement Dr. Luka Biong Deng said back in early 2010, that “even if we opt for referendum, South Sudan will still use port Sudan as their main port and this could cost us the current 50% share of the oil” That radical statement by Dr. Biong was a hints, to our current unfolding events and was going to be the only posibility to buy referendum. So my dear Southerners we will buy this referendum with our own oil money.

    4) The only way South Sudan will get both oil and referendum was to be prepared militarily to the teeth. Buy air force and military communication equipments, trained soldiers well and finally use the ICC saga as a leech to threaten Al bashir.

    Reply
  • Kur
    Kur

    U.S. calls for timely and credible referendum in South Sudan
    God bless America. The People of South Sudan hope that the US will stand by them until South Sudan is able to stand on her own feet.

    Kur

    Reply
  • Wiyual Wech Puk D. Payol.
    Wiyual Wech Puk D. Payol.

    U.S. calls for timely and credible referendum in South Sudan
    Yes,the upcoming referendum for south sudan is sure separetion.we,the people of south sudan do not want any unity with arabs.we sacrified ourselves for 21years in order to have independent nation like other African nations,not unity.the world must know!!!!!!!!!!!!.

    Reply
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