Northern Sudanese are to blame for promoting separation – SPLM official

June 13, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — A leading member in the Sudan People Liberation Movement (SPLM) said some northern Sudanese circles are to blame for promoting separation of Southern Sudan.

The two chambers of the Sudanese parliament will endorse tomorrow, Monday, the appointment of the chairman and members of the Referendum Commission which will begin the preparations for the most important clause in the peace agreement signed in January 2005.

In accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement the southern Sudanese will determine the future of their relations with the northern Sudan and have to decide whether they want to separate from the north. The two signatories, the NCP government and former rebel SPLM have to promote unity and seek to make unity attractive during the Interim Period.

Calls for weighting option of secession in the south are a reaction and reflection to the statements and activities of the Forum for Just Peace on the issue of secession, said Atem Garang, Deputy Speaker of the National Assembly and leading member in the southern Sudan ruling party, in statement published by the official SUNA.

Atem further said what applies to the forum in the north can be applied to any segment in the south, especially since the forum is advertizing for the separation since five years without any objection from any one to point out that its activities violate the constitution.

The Forum for Just Peace is a political party established on August 18, 2009 headed El-Tayeb Mustafa, the uncle of President Omer Al-Bashir and editor of Alintibaha. The FJP, which had began its activities since 2004, calls for the separation of northern and southern Sudan.

The SPLM official further underlined that the SPLM did not advocate secession today or tomorrow but talks about two options for the unity or separation. He stressed that the Constitution provides for the promotion of Sudanese unity through democracy and stability.

He also pointed out that the SPLM calls to resolve Darfur conflict because it is needed to reinforce the unity of Sudan.

During the interim period from 2005 to 2010, the implementation of the peace agreement was marred by mistrust and tensions between the two peace partners. Also, the bloody repression and war crimes in Darfur by the government army and militias amplified the bad image of the northern Sudan ruling party before the international community and revived atrocities committed during the civil war in southern Sudan.

(ST)