Southern Sudanese singer refutes pro-unity stance

November 15, 2010 (JUBA) – “I sing for Separation,” declares a South Sudanese musician, Mary Boyoi, as she refuted allegation that she was supporting unity of Sudan.

Mary told Sudan Tribune that a story carried by Khartoum-based newspapers that she was supporter of unity between North and South was not true, threatening to sue the paper in court for lying about her choice.

She said her campaign started in 2007 when she released her first Album with the title “Referendum”. Mary further explained that she had a vision and passion to sing for her country and her people to help get them ready for “the coming Referendum”.

Since that time, she has been traveling across Southern Sudan, Kenya and Ethiopia sharing her music and spreading her musical message. “Recently there was an allegation in a Northern newspaper Al Ahram that I was campaigning for Unity,” she told the Sudan Tribune.

“This [is] completely a lie. In fact I am planning to open a case against this paper for slandering me this way. I fully support separation and have had this vision in my heart for as long as I can remember. My own father died during the war fighting for this vision.”

Mary says between now and January 9th she will continue to campaign to encourage her fellow South Sudanese to vote for separation. “It is time the South to be on its own. Our people have fought too long and struggled too much. The North had their chance to make Unity attractive. They have failed. It is now time to ‘let us go because we will make it,” she said.

(ST)