Pressure group takes referendum campaign to remote villages

By Ngor Arol Garang

July 4, 2010 (ALEK) — A pressure group comprising church leaders, youth, women, local activists and elderly in the southern Sudan’s rural town of Alek, Gogrial West County of Warrap state, has extended referendum campaign to remote villages.

The local activists viewed as part of the regional pressure group dubbed as countdown on southern referendum, on Saturday took its first ever campaign to three villages of Riang Athieng, Ameth and Atukuel, a home village of ex-Warrap State governor, Tor Deng Mawien.

The campaign was considered by many as part of southern activities against political lobbies favoring unity of Sudan through implementation of developmental projects under unity support funds.

However, Wek Agoth, a primary head teacher in Alek told Sudan Tribune that the campaign was part of the local initiatives to prepare the local population ahead of the actual date of the referendum.

“This is a non-political pressure group. It is a local initiative meant to prepare our people to be ready for actual date of the conduct of referendum because most of our people are not prepared. We decided to form it because we realized that most of our people everywhere I go are inadequately informed and therefore do not know what the referendum means to them,” said Agoth.

Southern Sudan will hold a referendum on whether it will remain as part of the rest of Sudan or become independent by January 2011 in accordance with the self-determination’s provisions in the 2005 peace deal between North and South.

A simultaneous referendum will also be held in Abyei on whether or not it would become part of Southern Sudan.

It is also stipulated in the agreement to hold popular consultations in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, without a clear reference to referenda and/or independence, raising concerns about the future of these regions.

In October 2009, the central government of Sudan and the Southern Sudan government agreed that voter’s turnout for Southern Sudan referendum would have to be 60 percent in order for the exercise to be valid, while a simple majority vote of 50+1 in favor of secession will result to independence for Southern Sudan.

The proposed date for the referendum is 9th January 2011; should the turnout be lower than the 60% in the first referendum voting, a second one will be held within sixty days.

(ST)