South Sudan minister urges media for more coverage on referendum
July 20, 2010 (JUBA) — The minister of Information and Broadcasting in the Government of Southern Sudan on Tuesday urged media practitioners to help in educating the population in the region about the referendum, as the January 2011 polling gets closer.
Dr. Barnaba Marial Benjamin in a weekly press briefing said media have great role to play in the conduct of the referendum and other regional events. “You have a big role to make sure that people are well informed before the referendum takes place,” he said.
Planked by key members of the regional government including the minister of Internal Affairs, General Gier Chuang Aluong, who also briefed the press on activities of his ministry, Dr. Marial reportedly told journalists that based on the media’s role, voters will be able to make up their mind based on informed decision to independently vote for either united Sudan or separation.
The weekly press briefing followed presentations about the referendum with emphasizes of its successful conduct and different structures of the committee by the regional parliament chaired by Deputy Speaker, Daniel Awet , on Monday.
The Session attended by 125 members of the House and representatives of the civil society organizations made consensus to campaign to end differences created by April elections in Southern Sudan. It also urged media collaboration with government officials and civil society groups to do proper civic education in the rural areas and educate all people.
While Southern Sudanese youth embrace calls for separation, ruling northern based National Congress Party (NCP) exerts more efforts to make unity attractive in the region by sponsoring major development projects in mostly populated states.
Ayak Dut Mawien, one of the women activists told Sudan Tribune that NCP is giving no time for separation at all. “They are not sleeping. They are working day and night to ensure an obsolete dream about unity of the country,” she said.
“Since President Bashir won elections, he has openly urged people to vote for united Sudan. Is it wrong for others to follow the same path,” asked Mawien, adding that South Sudanese [officials] should be preaching for a YES vote for separation in the referendum instead of unity.
Although calls for separation support has been growing, reports about secret campaign for united Sudan also gains momentum. Some of the southern politicians angered by April elections maintained that the media should play a great role to influence voters to vote for united Sudan.
Deng Rehan, a resident of Wunrok [Warrap state], running a small scale retail business raised a concern that the creation of two new states in Sudan would raise concern about Sudanese nationality. “Will it not be difficult to create two countries?” he asked. After all we [have] all these time been living as one and the same people. We have one nation of Sudan and now we want to break up into two countries to form two new governments of Southern Sudan and Northern Sudan. How? What if people in central Sudan oppose breaking away of Southern Sudan,” he further asked.
However, Mawien Deng, a law Student at Juba University responded to Rehan’s questions, saying he had misinterpreted or must have not been properly educated about self determination of Southern Sudan as stipulated in the CPA.
“What we are looking at is separation of Southern Sudan from the north by exercising the right [to self-determination] as enshrined in the Interim Constitution of Southern Sudan compatible with the Interim Constitution of Sudan” under the 2005 peace deal.
(ST)