North-South border delays won’t affect referenda – official
By Julius N. Uma
July 7, 2010 (JUBA) — The delays in the demarcation of the much-hyped border north-south borders will not jeopardize the conduct of Sudan’s forthcoming referendum, Dr. Barnabas Marial Benjamin, the Information and Broadcasting Minister in the Southern government has assured.
The referendum for possible southern Sudan independence has been earmarked for early next year.
Already, according to Dr. Marial, 80 percent of the boundaries have been successfully demarcated, while the remaining percentage is expected to be accomplished soon.
The Minister, who was speaking at the just initiated weekly media forum to be held every Tuesdays also urged members of the media fraternity to portray positive messages to the masses on the forthcoming referendum so as to create awareness.
“The media should be seen as positively contributing to nation building through accurate reporting on issues so as to help the masses have a positive attitude towards the forthcoming referendum,” the Information and Broadcasting Minister said.
Dr. Marial also told journalists that government had already formed a referendum taskforce that will be in-charge of coordinating all pre-referendum related activities.
Asked to comment on the wave of pro-separation demonstrations currently taking place across south Sudan and even beyond, the Information and Broadcasting Minister said such peaceful processions portrayed people’s interests and solidarity towards the referendum.
“I learnt of a pro-referendum procession yesterday and one that took place sometime back organized by young people. To me, this is good and it’s a demonstration of peoples’ wishes and interests,” he said.
The Minister’s remarks came less than a day after hundred of Sudanese nationals living in Uganda took to the streets of Kampala, to show their support for a separate state ahead of a referendum on January 9, 2011.
The procession of about 500 people, most of them towering youth, reportedly started at their liaison office on Plot 21 on Nakasero Road. They marched on Yusuf Lule Road, through Nile Avenue and moved back to the liaison office, where several leaders addressed a cheering crowd amidst tight Police security.
According to local media report, the demonstrators carried banners bearing Southern Sudan president, Salva Kiir and the late Dr. John Garang as they chanted “Bye Bye Oppression! Bye Bye Sharia Law!”
Most of them blamed the Khartoum government for the suffering in several parts of the south, which has been plagued by insurgency, poverty and epidemics.
Mr. Noel Ajo, the president of the Southern Sudanese Students’ Union, on the other hand, attributed the plight of people in the south to discrimination on the basis of race, religion and the economy.
The leader of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) youth league, Eng. Paul Akol, said the unity government established in 2005 had failed to address the welfare of the people in the south.
During the event, the Sudanese community reportedly also paid tribute to Dr. John Garang, the fallen SPLA leader and other people who died during the civil war that ended in 2005.
(ST)