SPLA disabled war veterans encouraged to participate in the South Sudan referendum

By Bonifacio Taban Kuich

November 27,2010 (BENTIU) – Disabled war veterans from the Sudan People Liberation Army (SPLA) have been encouraged to participate in the south Sudan’s referendum on independence in January.

The self determination plebiscite was agreed as part of a 2005’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the SPLA and successive northern governments after over two decades of civil war in which two million were killed and 4 million displaced.

On Saturday SPLA veterans and the South Sudan Disarmament Demobilization Reintegration Commission (SSDDRC) in Unity State organized a three day workshop for the forthcoming referendum. Most observers believe that the oil-producing south will vote to secede from the north after an acrimonious five and a half years sharing power with Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party.

Brigadier General James Nhial Wasthkak from the SPLA’s disabled unit in Unity state told Sudan Tribune on Saturday that he wanted wounded war veterans to prepare themselves for the referendum process.

Wasthkak said the main target of the workshop was to prepare disabled soldiers from the nine bases for disabled soldiers in Unity state for the Southern referenda in January 2011. The border region of Abyei is also due to vote to decide whether it will join the south.

Unity state is home to 3,440 disabled soldiers according to Wasthkak.

Another SPLA attendee at the event, Captain Madok Deng Gatpaat, told Sudan Tribune on Saturday that wounded war veterans would ensure that they will register with the wives and children above 18 years old.

He said, most of the injured soldiers had been wounded during the SPLA’s war with Khartoum central governments from 1983 – 2005 intended to vote for independence of the south to split Africa’s largest country.

Gatpaat said, “The wounded has experiences war result which made most of them half legs and hands, therefore this a greater reminding their pain in hearts and the only solutions to these pains is to vote forsuccess of Southern Sudan to achieve its own independent state”.

George Gatloi Kaong the SSDDRC acting Chairaman said that there are 2,926 disabled war veterans in Unity state who need to be integrated back into society. He said Disarmament Demobilization and Reintegration (DDR) is being supported by UNDP, UNICEF, IOM, and NPA together with the regional and state governments.

(ST)