Sudan will accept result of free and fair referendum – FM
October 2, 2010 (KHARTOUM) — Foreign minister Ali Ahmed Karti today reaffirmed Sudan’s commitment to conduct timely Southern Sudan referendum, as agreed in a peace deal signed in 2005. He added that they will only accept the result of a free and fair referendum.
The National Congress Party also said the border demarcation, issue of Sudan’s debit and withdrawal of some SLPA unity from Southern Kordofan should be resolved before to hold the referendum.
Minister Karti told the German State Secretary of the Federal Foreign Office on Saturday in a meeting held in Khartoum that Government will accept the results of the referendum provided that they meet the conditions of integrity and reflect the free will of the people of the south.
The minister further briefed the visiting official about the ongoing discussions between the two peace partners (NCP and SPLM) to end the deadlock on border delimitation and Abyei issue.
During his visit to Sudan, Wolf Ruthrat held talks with Sudanese officials in Khartoum, Juba, Abyei and El-Fashir.
The Sudanese foreign minister will meet his German counterpart in Berlin on 6 October for a meeting on German-Sudanese political dialogue in the run-up to the 2011 referendum in Southern Sudan and Abyei, and the resumption of the Darfur Peace Talks in Doha.
During his eight-day visit to Sudan, Wolf-Ruthrat discussed CPA implementation and resolution of Darfur conflict with Presidential Assistant Nafie Ali Nafie, Presidential Advisers Ghazi Salah Eddin and Abdalla Saleh ‘Gosh’, acting Foreign Minister Kamal Hassan Ali, and the Wali of North Darfur, Osman Yusif Kibir.
In Juba, he tackled the same issues with the Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan, Riak Machar and Ministers Kosti Manibe and. Barnaba Benjamin.
Germany provides financial support to the Carter Center, which has deployed 16 observers to monitor the referendum process in southern Sudan.
(ST)