NCP-SPLM agree to hold referendum as scheduled despite disagreements over borders, Abyei
August 3, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – Sudan’s ruling partners, the National Congress Party (NCP) of the north and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) of the south, have agreed at the conclusion of a two-day workshop in Cairo to hold the referendum on southern Sudan’s independence as planned in January 2011, a joint statement issued by the two parties said on Tuesday.
The workshop, which kicked off on Monday, 2 August, also tackled the issues of borders and debts. Al-Sahafah daily newspaper quoted sources as saying that the two partners were also discussing a paper presented by the Egyptian intelligence on the relations between north and south Sudan in both cases of unity and separation.
The agreement to hold the referendum as planned appears to be in stark contrast to statements made by officials from both parties on the issue of referendum verses border-demarcation.
Whereas NCP officials recently made several statements maintaining that south Sudan’s referendum will not be held unless north-south borders are demarcated, southern officials stressed that the referendum will go ahead even if borders are undecided.
“Such thing (holding the referendum without deciding borders) would not happen unless the SPLM wanted to hold the referendum on its own”, the NCP’s political secretary Ibrahim Gandur said in statements to the press on 2 August.
Two days earlier on 31 July, south Sudan’s president Salva Kiir declared that the referendum would go ahead as planned “with or without border demarcation.”
Demarcation of north-south borders remain stalled. Yesterday, the Technical Committee for Demarcation of north-south Borders decided to submit the differences on the demarcation process to the Presidency of the Republic to settle.
The joint statement also said that the two partners had agreed to join efforts to conquer all difficulties facing the implementation of the Abyei Protocol.
The issue of the disputed oil-producing region of Abyei has been one of the major points of contention in the NCP-SPLM relations.
According to Abyei’s protocol of the CPA, the 2005’s agreement which ended two-decade of north-south war, the region’s residents are due to hold a simultaneous referendum on whether to join south Sudan or remain part of the north.
Disputes over the region’s boundaries led the two partners to resort to the Hague-based Permanent Court of Arbitration which ruled that the region’s boundaries be redefined.
However, Sudan’s presidential adviser for security affairs, Salah Gosh, said last week that the PCA ruling “did not resolve the dispute”
Similarly, the head of Abyei’s administration, Deng Arop told reporters in Khartoum on 1 August that talks between the two partners regarding the region “have come to a standstill”
(ST)
thieleling
NCP-SPLM agree to hold referendum as scheduled despite disagreements over borders, Abyei
Dear Readers,
Nafie is among the so-called smart strategists or thinkers at the highest level of the NCP. How can he explain what VP Taha, Salah Gosh and Ibrahim Gandur said earlier about the Seccession, Abyei’s PCA ruling & North-South demarcation respectively? The game is on people of south sudan.
Be alert, aware and stay absolutely awake!! Do not listen to lib-service or buying time. Do what you think is neccessary. And prepare for the worst. If NCP means what they said, and do what they mean, then be it peaceful divorce. But at no point is anyone is ready to be dumb-founded like that of 1972 Accord or any other dishonored accords.
maumau
NCP-SPLM agree to hold referendum as scheduled despite disagreements over borders, Abyei
Its a good move, some thing we Southerners should applaud because it is getting us to our destiny however, the reporter is bias, they have refused to quote the speech of SPLM`S Dr. Machar or Amum. These two powerful men were present during the deliberation and we want to read and know what they actually said. The report is incomplete. MAUMAU
David Glenn
NCP-SPLM agree to hold referendum as scheduled despite disagreements over borders, Abyei
Two comments:
the author here refers to the (mainly Christian-animist South Sudan),is he trying to establish a link between christianity and animism,like when we talk about(Judeo-Christian).or what is this game?
the author does ignore that there are Southerners who are Moslems,why ignore them and talk about Christians and Animists?Is this the beginning of southerners discriminating against other Southerners because of the religion?
Dinka Boy
NCP-SPLM agree to hold referendum as scheduled despite disagreements over borders, Abyei
Dear Southerners,
This is what i have been telling you that as long the minister of CPA-CDR Pagan Amum on the negogiation team,then everything will be all right because he has been witnessing the visions of SPLM/A for decades,and he was one who was trained on the SPLM/A issues since the party was struggling. Iam very proud of Amum and his team because a true leader said and mean his words.
The NCP should undestand that we SPLM/A has no other option than to accomplished the CPA last stages so that the people of South Sudan will chioce their interest between independent/secession and unity. We have known that we have to choice to be the first class in their country-that is new nation that would be free from undemocracy systems.
We need more developments other than bareness systems that has been circling for decades in the Country.
We have to fulfiled the CPA by holding the referendum next year timely because this agreement is a must contract and must be respected by all SPLM & NCP,but if NCP reject the referendum,then the only blame will be to the president of Sudan because he really need conflict.
I am glad that Pagan Amum is there because he can not accept bribes like the other worrysome guy inforced just for the sake of welcome while a NCP sleeping mattress. Thanks
Dinka Boy
NCP-SPLM agree to hold referendum as scheduled despite disagreements over borders, Abyei
Dear South Sudanese,
The problem of Sudan has been identify;therefore,the treatment is under way.
The people of South Sudan have been sleeping for decades and this make the khartoum a mere glitters against the South because they thought about themselves and forget that the country has some people encircling.
The gate to war is sepeartion while the implanting of war is unity. We South Sudanese must forget about those manipulators because they have been molding the country for their fake unity. What disolved Addis Ababaa agreement? was not them-Khartoum government who really want to enforced hatred against the Africans identities through Sharia laws and neglecting the South development for years.
This country has been united for more then 50 years,then why South Sudan is like this ? this people are making us disappointed because they still did not know that most of our politicians now are not selfisf like before. Dr Garang has identify the mistake in the country,and there is no way that the ancient issues will repeated themselves again. never!,never again.
The NCp should clearly know that when every the problem is examined,then its cure is simple to cure. Why are they wasting their time compaigning for unity while they were the one who know why the South feel bitterly about the unity. It’s because the unity of Sudan has been the package of some many wars and disagreement when agreed in this country. Why not we become neighbors for this time,and build some relations? This way we will be friends because you North will join your counterpart-the middle East or the Arab nations so that you will be the Arab country,and we South will be the African nations/East Africa you nation.
This is fairly clear like that because we South does not feel be together anymore. As was promised to us by our founder father of SPLM/A-Dr John Garang, we will choose to be the first class in our country instead of being second class in our country once again. I urged all the South to vote for seperation whether peacefully or not because this system of Khartoum has been a rotten calabash.
Why all the time the North want unity while they are glutton?.
Gatwech
NCP-SPLM agree to hold referendum as scheduled despite disagreements over borders, Abyei
I love South Sudan strategists in the leadership who tactically pinned down the NCP on the issue of referendum versus North-South borders. They calculated to bring the issue to surface very early while the NCP was planning to keep it a secret to surprise southerners with it in November and December.
Now the case is very clear as planned. The referendum will take place even without agreement on North-South borders as early stated by the GOSS senior leadership.
Brave our leaders, Kiir and Machar, for strategically bringing the issue to early discussion and knowledge. I like smart strategists who tactically handle things maturely.
Well, now in Cairo, the NCP has said they can allow the referendum without the border demarcation. That is a good saying, but why in Cairo? Is NCP allowing the conduct of the referendum with the understanding to rig it with the help of Egypt?
Ahahahahhaaaaaaaa……..This is another situation our strategists will handle.
Samson
NCP-SPLM agree to hold referendum as scheduled despite disagreements over borders, Abyei
Let the mind play the game, my bullet it only game I play like what Dr. Garang said in 80th NCP do not understand us. until we complete by the fire of the bullet.