UNMIS to transport 100 tons of referendum equipments in 11 weeks: official

By Thon Philip Aleu

October 20, 2010 (JUBA) – The United Nations Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) has announced it will deliver over 100 tons of referendum-related equipments within 11 weeks ahead of south Sudan’s referendum on independence.

Speaking at a news conference at the UNMIS headquarters in Juba on Tuesday, David Gressly, the UNMIS Regional Coordinator for south Sudan, revealed “substantial expansion” of aviation to meet the challenges of reaching more remote registration and polling centers that will be established between now and the 9 January 2011 when the vote is due to begin.

“We’re going to work very hard to ensure a successful referendum that represents the will of the people of southern Sudan,” said Gressly adding that UNMIS “plans to assist the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission achieve this objective.”

UNMIS has stepped-up efforts to help Sudan conduct votes on the future of southern Sudan and the oil region of Abyei in the north-south border.

Southern Sudan will vote either to continue the unity of Sudan under the current system of governance or opt to become a separate state as part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement that ended decades of civil war, in which around 2 million people died.

Miraya FM, the UNMIS sponsored radio station, broadcast the news briefing. Gressly assured listeners and those who made phone calls in semi-autonomous south that lack of good roads would not hinder the process.

The vote is due to begin 9 January 2011 but the preparations are well behind schedule putting the date is under scrutiny. Determination of locations for registration centers and the voter registration have not begun even though they should have commenced months ago are yet to take effect.

“With that [polling] date less than three months away, we are stepping up the logistical and technical support we have been providing to southern Sudan referendum commission and bureau. We plan to assist in delivery of 120 tons of referendum-related equipment and materials over the next 11 weeks”, said Gressly. The equipments include vehicles, bicycles, kits and boxes containing registration and polling items.

Gressly said UNMIS has established a referendum support presence in all the country’s ten southern states to work directly with the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission’s county-level subcommittees. The first county teams of UN volunteers and UN Police advisers will be deployed to referenda support bases starting this Friday, he added.

Security, which is crucial before, during and after referendum, Gressly said is being supported by UNMIS through training of police and prison officers.

About 3,000 Southern Sudan police officers will join the formed-police units after they complete an intensive, six-week-long training program focused on crowd control, Very Important Persons’ protection and special weapons and tactics, the UNMIS chief noted.

More than 12,000 southern police personnel complete security training courses by late last week, according to the statement. There is a plan for training 16,500 by the start of next year. This would be in addition to the 10,600 southern Sudan police officers trained prior to April’s elections, according to UNMIS.

(ST)