Friday, March 29, 2024

Sudan Tribune

Plural news and views on Sudan

SPLM rejects connecting conduct of referendum to borders demarcation

September 28, 2010 (JUBA) — A high ranking official of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) has swiftly expressed his rejection to any demand connecting the conduct of referendum on self-determination for the people Southern Sudan to demarcation of borders between the two regions.

On Tuesday, a minister from the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) gave out a series of conditions for holding the referendum. Hajj Majid Suwar, Youth and Sports Minister in the national government in Khartoum told the state news agency that prior to drawing up the potential borders which divides the country into halves, the southern forces allegedly deployed along borderlines be redeployed farther south of the 1956 border.

John Luk Jok, minister of Legal Affairs and Constitutional Development, quickly rejected the demand connecting the conduct of referendum to border demarcation. “The SPLM position on the conduct of referendum has always been clear and will remain the same. That the referendum will be conducted as scheduled,” he said.

“Discussions about conducting referendum on time have been made and the two parties in several occasions have pledged to honor the conduct while exploring alternatives to resolve differences over pending issues in the comprehensive peace agreement,” said Jok, in a brief telephone interview with Sudan Tribune from the regional capital of Juba.

Much of the oil lies in the potentially conflict spot areas between the two regions. Attempts to draw up borderlines by the technical demarcating committee have been grounded on logistical, torrential and political hiccups to complete the exercise.

While the South accuses Khartoum of intentionally dragging feet to delay demarcation of the borders in the past, the North has in recent past shifted the blame on the South accusing its ruling party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) of giving little attention to demarcation of the borders as a prerequisite to the conduct of referendum.

(ST)

4 Comments

  • Wal P Muoranyar Biet
    Wal P Muoranyar Biet

    SPLM rejects connecting conduct of referendum to borders demarcation
    That Minister for Sport of NCP talk as if we are still in Machakos era! Troops in the border or no troop, what had been agreed upon in 2005 is what will determine the results Mr. Suwar.

    If you want your conditions met, go to IGAD!

    Wal Peter Muoranyar

    Reply
  • Odongi Ayahu
    Odongi Ayahu

    SPLM rejects connecting conduct of referendum to borders demarcation
    The absence of any rational monitoring on actual implantation of the CPA down on line could have proven worse scenario on Sudan NCP’s honesty to govern. This is hardly few years when the CPA was signed as witnessed by credible governments of the world. The NCP has audacity to renege from every fibber of the CPA.

    Refer to CPA Part III article 3.1 which says; in respect of the Southern Sudan, there shall be a government of Southern Sudan (GOSS), as per the border of 1/1/1956.

    Which, borders are we referring to; are those the borders encroached by Nemeri dictator in the 70s or those are NCP imaginary oil borders dictated by greed? All those borders have been legally drawn by colonial powers before 1956 therefore affirmed by the CPA. The Government of Southern Sudan is most confident of its borders as inherited during that “independence” of 1956.

    Therefore the Minister is absolutely right to make a categorical statement; borders have no relationship with referendum. The Referendum is the absolute right of Southern Sudan and Abyei to decide on their destiny in just barely 100 days in time; come-ye 9th January 2011. No mighty power will ever stop Southern Sudan from the exercise of their right and to walk away from lies and cheatings perpetuated throughout history using their teeth and mouth.

    Reply
Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.