Lakes state government declared seven day holidays for officials to register

By Manyang Mayom

November 26, 2010 (JUBA) – The government of Lakes state had declared a seven day holiday for its officials so they can join registration activities in their constituencies across Lakes states for the south’s referendum on secession.

Marik Nanga Marik, Lakes state Information minister told Sudan Tribune that the council of ministers sitting on Thursday had decided to declare from 25 Nov – 1 December 2010 as public holiday in Rumbek.

The aim of public holiday was to give enough full time for officials working in the state government to join their respective community to get registered in the few days left for South Sudan‘s referendum vote in coming January 2011.

However, it was announced on Friday that the registration period will be extended until December 8, only a month before voting begins January 9, 2011.

The referendum was agreed as part of a 2005 peace deal that ended over two decades of civil war between north and south that resulted in two million deaths and four million people being forced to flee their homes.

Thousands of southern Sudanese who had been displaced to Khartoum, other areas of north Sudan and neighboring countries are returning to the south ahead of the vote.

Minister Nanga said that over 500 southern Sudanese arrived to at Shambe Port on Wednesday on from Khartoum with help from the Lakes state government.

Since arriving the IDPs have complained of not being protected from mosquitoes and lack of medicine. Lakes state government sent minister of Social Development and Child Welfare with an advanced team to Shambe to receive IDPs and discover their needs according to Nanga.

Lakes state’s governor has set up new committee headed by his food security advisor to visit Khartoum again to bring more Lakes state IDP residing in Khartoum to be brought back to South Sudan before January.

Many southerners fear violence or persecution in the north if the south votes for independence. Senior officials in the Khartoum government have said that they would not be welcome in the north in the event of a vote for secession. Post-referendum issues such as citizenship rights, oil and water resources and national debt have yet to be agreed.

Lakes state registration centers ran out of registration forms on Thursday, but state referendum high committee chairman Mabor Makuei ensured Lakes state community that his is communicating with South Sudan Referendum high committee head office in Juba to send in more registrations books.

Makuei affirmed that some young people were refusing to register claiming that they were harassed by the southern army – the SPLA – last year during a civilian disarmament.

He said that extra efforts were being made to convince them to register.

(ST)