Activists call for timely conduct of Abyei referendum

By Julius N. Uma

October 21, 2010 (JUBA) – A coalition of civil society activists on Thursday called for the referendum on the future of the oil-rich Abyei region to be held on schedule at the beginning of January next year, despite calls for it to be postponed by a government minister earlier this week.

South Sudan is due to hold a self determination vote in January to decide whether it wishes to remain part of Sudan or form a new country.

Under a 2005 peace deal Abyei will hold a simultaneous referendum on whether it wishes to remain in the north or join what could be a newly independent south Sudan.

The region on the north-south border is growing increasingly tense as the referenda approaches as the signatories to the peace deal cannot agree who is allowed to vote, the composition of the commission to run the referendum and the borders of Abyei.

On Tuesday, Sudan’s defense minister Abdel-Rahim Mohamed Hussein became the most senior NCP official to explicitly suggest that the referendum in the South should be moved from its original date of January 9, 2011.

“According to the reality on the ground, yes [the referenda should be delayed]. Border issues and Abyei must be resolved within the framework of one nation because doing so in the framework of two countries open the door for foreign interference,” Hussein told reporters in Cairo following his meeting with Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak.

A spokesmen for the Sudanese army denied on Wednesday that Hussein had called for any postponement or that his comments in any way confirmed that it was a wider policy of the NCP.

Arop Madut Arop, the Abyei area legislator told Sudan Tribune in a phone interview on Tuesday that such remarks by NCP officials were simply “kicks from dying horses”.

The southern official dismissed the call for a postponement describing Hussein as a “non-starter full of wishful thinking”.

“The national government was responsible for the enactment of the Referendum Act which was passed. They formed the southern Sudan Referendum Commission which is now operational. Apart from the other technical aspects that may be required, they have nothing to do with the smooth conduct of the January referendum,” Arop said.

There are less than 80 days to go until the referendum with preparations running way behind schedule. Voter registration in the south is due to begin on 14 November, with voter list finalized only 9 days before voting begins on 9 January.

The coalition, under the Civil Society Referendum Taskforce (CSRTF), declared that despite calls by a senior politician in Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party for the vote to be delayed, the vote should go-ahead on 9 January.

It is widely expected that Abyei will vote to become part of south Sudan, itself an oil-producer.

CSRTF is an entity representing more than 160 civil society organizations and at least 35 media institutions in south Sudan, announced its position at a press conference held in Juba, south Sudan’s capital.

At a recent workshop on the referendum, Isaac Kenyi, the CSRTF chairperson urged government to ensure that the January vote is conducted in accordance with existing legal provisions, including the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), Interim National Constitution 2005 and the Referendum Act 2009.

“As members from the civil society, it’s our concern that the referendum process be completed in a free, fair and secure manner that reflects and respects the will of southern Sudanese to determine their future,” Kenyi said.

The civil society activists also said they were concerned with what they described as the “lack of trust” between parties to the CPA, something they argued could derail prospects of fully implementing the remaining aspects of the peace agreement.

The CPA between Sudan’s ruling party the National Congress Party and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, the former southern rebels has held together for almost six years.

Kenyi said, “We call on the CPA parties to urgently implement all outstanding CPA provisions, including the north-south border delineation and demarcation.”

Asked to elaborate on what other aspects of the CPA implementation were of concern to CSRTF, chairperson Kenyi, who was flanked by his deputy, Lorna Merekaje highlighted the issues surrounding the Abyei referendum, saying it should be held simultaneously to the southern referendum on self-determination.

Members of the coalition urged the southern Sudan government to widely circulate the Referendum Act to inform the public of the legal basis for the referenda.

They also appealed to the international community to provide adequate funding for widespread and sustained civic and voter education.

The civil society statement also tackled issues of national security, polling security, monitoring and post-referendum planning, all of which they said were essential for the success of the January referendum.

When pressed to comment of allegations that the Abyei referendum could be postponed, the CSRTF chairperson warned parties’ signatory to the CPA to desist from making inflammatory statements likely to derail preparations processes ahead of voting.

There are less than 80 days to go until the referendum with preparations running way behind schedule. Voter registration in the south is due to begin on 14 November, with voter list finalized only 9 days before voting begins on 9 January.

(ST)