Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
December 4, 2010 (CAIRO) — Southern Sudan is expected to secede from the north in the referendum on self determination scheduled to take place next January, said the Egyptian foreign minister today.
Southern Sudan referendum was agreed as part of a 2005 peace deal between the former southern rebels (SPLM) and the Sudanese government, the agreement ended over two decades of civil war that at least killed some two million people.
In a TV show aired by the Egyptian television on Saturday, Ahmed Aboul-Gheit said, the two partners of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CAP) did not exert real efforts during the interim period to make unity attractive.
Egypt spoke with both sides to make unity attractive but, “all indicators now point at an inevitable separation,” Aboul-Gheit said.
Before and after April general elections, Egypt organized two meetings in Cairo between the Sudanese peace parties to convince them to make the necessary concessions to strengthen the unity and stability of the country.
Failing to preserve the unity of its vital neighbor, the Egyptian officials continued to travel to Khartoum and Juba with the hope to persuade them to perform a peaceful and smooth separation.
Aboul Gheit said Egypt tried to convince the Sudanese parties to settle the post referendum and outstanding issues before the referendum while they are still one country to avoid any dispute after separation.
The minister, who travelled several times to Sudan to tackle these issues, disclosed that they suggested postponing the referendum so as to solve these problems. However he said the CPA parties refused to do so.
One month before the referendum the two signatories of 2005 peace deal are still discussing Abyei referendum, Sudan’s assets and debit, and border demarcation. The presidency delayed a meeting this week as they failed to agree on Abyei.
Aboul Gheit confirmed also that Egypt proposed to the two sides to establish a confederal state between the northern and southern Sudan but both declined the idea.
In the south, they responded that they would not consider this proposal before independence. However President Omer Al-Bashir said there is a six-month period (…) during which they can solve the outstanding issues between both sides.
Al-Bashir was referring the period from 9 January where the referendum is conducted to 9 January, where the southern Sudan would proclaim its independence.
In February 2010 Egyptian president Hosni Mubarak made rare remarks speaking of “peaceful” separation between North and South Sudan. He criticized Khartoum for lacking the will to preserve the unity and warning that there are regional powers wanting to fuel conflict in the area which he described as “vital to Egypt”.
Egypt fears the impact of South Sudan independence on the Nile water agreement and the possible reallocation of share with the new state even though legal experts say that the water agreements are still binding to the new state.
A report leaked by Wikileaks published this week in Cairo, said that Cairo told Washington about its opposition to the southern Sudan independence. The reports said Egypt asked in a first time to warn them against secession
After Egypt suggested to amend the CPA to give the south autonomy for a ten year period rather than the six years initially agreed. This period Egypt said would allow the region to develop south Sudan’s “capacity for statehood”.
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Genuine Leader
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
Mr Abul Gheit,we want your clear position about south Sudan independence,not rhetoric words.
Genuine leader,the future leader ,war without border with jalaba if unity expose onto spla
Peter Elia Kuzee
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
Egypt,Dont go too far to suoth sudan independence,you are double heads.
This is our time, why is it that you want the time to be prolong, and before the registration, you keept quite?
The wolrd is watching what is taking plase in sudan.
Take care, otherwise you will fill the result soon.
ALL THOSE WHO ARE NOT YET REGISTER SHOULD NOW.
Land-of-Cush
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
South Sudan should not be panic about any proposal from Egyptian goverment. Their aim is about water only; not because there will be outstanding between north-south after secession.Egypt will get punishement soon as possibl until they will run out of water and their nets will be useless in the Book of Isahay 19:1-17 God said. Separation is an option.
Diu J.Kuek
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
Mr President Hosni Mubarak and foreign minister Abuol Gheit acknowledged their total failure to procrastinating the Southern Sudan Self-determination referendum from the original Agreement to be amended, this Agreement is not NOVATION agreement as in the contract Law which can change from original to new one as parties agreed to,this is an Agreement come through blood sacrifice.
Egyotian political Role toward Southern Sudan always going negatively.
Southern Sudan referendum will be conducted on time whether Egypt like or not.and its better to advocate for good relationship with South Sudan but we don,t need to have relationship with Egypt any more,
Diu Jieth Kuek
Dok chol
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
It will never matter whoever interfering with South Sudan secession either Egypt or Mahamud Qadafi the will still hold its referendum and secede if they want. unity is free will of people of S.Sudan and should not be foreign influence.
makuei
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
At last, the Arab world is getting to discover the seriousity of the Southern Sudanese. Well, it isn’t a joke, we are seceding come January 9th.
Raphael Makuei
Marco A. Wek
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
Egypt was and is concerned about the Nile water which is their lifeline in addition to their annual assistance from the USA. They have no any other concern at all in Sudan apart from Nile Waters and if that is the case which it is, they should have put a lot of pressure on the northern Sudanese government right from 2005 to make unity attractive to Southern Sudanese but instead, they let them to play their usual games of trying to water down agreements.
The fact is both Northern Sudan and Egypt will have to blame for Southern separation and not Southern Sudanese. We have been patient more then enough for ventures but what did we get apart from suffering and death in the hands of Northern Sudanese governments since 1955. In fact, even without the Wikileaks, we know Egypt would always side with their Muslim and Arab brothers in Sudan since both claim to be part of Middle East.
As for Mr. Ahmed Aboul- Gheit, you talked of talking to both sides of Sudanese to exert efforts to make unity attractive during the interim period, in fact, you should talked to the Northern Sudanese government to exert it’s efforts to convince Southern Sudanese that they failed in the past to let the South have their equal share of development as well as governance of their country but in stead, you people were beating the bushes. SPLM has no party whatsoever to make the unity attractive when the ball of unity and separation was in the hands of Northern government and by account choice separation over unity by their deeds since 2005. Ahmed Aboul Gheit and your country Egypt, what do you expect Southern Sudanese will do? Do you want us to go for unity when the Northern Sudanese haven’t confessed their ill deeds by doing good things in the South and to Southerners so that we wil say, well, our brothers in the North got it and that we will vote for unity. That of course didn’t happen and as a result, we will go our way. In life, even real brothers will separat if one is greedy and loves to have all the family properties to himself, leave alone brothers in land. I hope Northern Sudanese will learn from South breaking away but unfortunately, that is not the case and the prove is the new threats on Minani and his SLA/SLM. What a pity on those that will stay with Northern Sudanese without the South?
AdierCien
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
Today is the change of yesterday,let Egypt be far away from referendum of Southern Sudan. As earlier discussed in CPA that SOUTHERNERS will decide and make their choice be heard internationally. This is the time people were been talking here and there,I think no time for unity.
Tambura
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
We will not forget Egyptian killed our children not long ago. They never care about Sudan Halib still in their hand.The only things they care about is Nile. We are going to build dams on nile and sell them water in future. At my side I will make sure not to deal with them.
Murle Intellectual
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
why?
Why?
Omoni Atari
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
Arabs love south sudan for their own benefits, and calling the Natives infidels. They like south sudan soil and they dont like the land owners.
how come you like your girlfiriend and you refused to like her parents??
we did not go the bush in order to leberate people from Egypt’s water. it is very useless to compare water and blood of southerners who were murdered by rogue regime during millitary confrontation upto date. Realllocation of Nile water is non of Egyptians business as long as south sudan have legitimate Right to use water for civilians benefits.
Omoni Atari.
Erermeres kururpra
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
Hand off south sudan and dictate your own country Egypt.Learning the tone of Egyptian on southern referandum,wether it is positive or negative, south sudan should not consider any suggestion by Egypt any more.Nile river is as important to sudanese just as it is to Egyptians.
The need for seperation is not based on water,its based on history.
Unity with the government at war in some part of the country can only take us back to where we came out six years ago.
so my advice, stay away greedy Egypt.
Erermeres kururpra
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
I mean Egyptians should keep their hands off south sudan.
Udukurm.J
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
Iam thinking of building another dam across the bluenile river for agricultural purpose,what do you think egypt?The river run though my home land, its wrong for me to let it go to benefit Egypt without benefiting my self from it.
wrong thinking Egypt.
LimitedRepublic.com
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
The position of Egypt’s main benefactor the United States may hold the key. It is unlikely Southern Sudan would cut off petroleum or water to her northern neighbors. At least if those neighbors are willing to pay fair market prices.
Southern Sudan will not be a position to pull string in the same fashion as Russia does with Eastern Europe and gas.
Thongjang Thongjang
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
In 2019 Egptain they will be seeing something similar like what they saw last time from Jew state Israel from land of Kush! Rabbi Thongjang Thongjang.
Kijana Bol Detion-Alier-Abiu
Egypt admits foreseeable South Sudan independence
Please Egyptian, you’ve no right to come and messed around with south Sudanese “referendum” in days coming. We don’t want to entertain any criminal in this coming result of referendum. Doing so must take us far.