INTERVIEW: SPLM’s Amum hints at reaching deal over post-referendum arrangements

By Ngor Arol Garang

December 28, 2010 (ABYEI) – Pagan Amum, a senior member of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) on Tuesday said that, attempts to reach a compromise over post-referendum arrangements, with Sudan’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP), were progressing well.

Sudan’s south is due to hold a plebiscite on January 9 to decide whether it will separate from the north as part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) between the SPLM and NCP.

Most observers expect the south opt to secede from the north. Amum, who is the Minister for Peace and CPA Implementation and the SPLM’s Secretary General, is in Khartoum leading the SPLM negotiating team on post-referendum arrangements with the NCP.

Amum told Sudan Tribune from Khartoum: “Our discussions have started and are progressing very well on most of the outstanding post referendum issues and arrangements. These outstanding issues, as you may be aware, include citizenship, security as well as international agreements.”

Amum, says he is optimistic that the ongoing discussions would bring an agreement over the citizenship before the referendum takes place.

“It is possible that an agreement will reached before referendum takes place because we have already agreed on the principles on protection of both northerners and southerners on either side in case of secession,” said the lead negotiator.

He pointed out that the rights of people will be protected and guaranteed and that voluntary return would be assisted without interference and sabotage.

“We have agreed that protection of the citizens from two regions on either side be given high priority without reservations,” said Amum.

However, he said that said only one issue regarding citizenship has not been agreed upon, on the status of northerners in the south and southerners in the north.

“All discussions on the citizenship have been concluded. The only issue which still being discussed and we shall get out of it is the issue of some of the northern Sudanese who are associated with south Sudan. These are people who say to have lived permanently in south. Their rights to choose between citizenship of south Sudan and nationality of southern Sudan or retaining the right of Sudanese citizenship in the north is what being discussed,” he said.

“The same applies to south Sudanese who are permanent residents in northern Sudan and needs to be given the right to choose either the citizenship in the north or retaining or assessing citizenship in the new state of south Sudan incase the referendum vote becomes secession,” said Amum

The leading figure of the southern ruling party, however, said hopeful that they reach a settlement.

“Discussions are moving forward, so we are hopeful that we will reach agreement on the all the issues of citizenship before the referendum takes place” says Amum.

On the other issues, the Secretary General of the ex-rebel movement said that the two parties reached an agreement on security issues with the exception of security arrangements for the two areas of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile states.

Another unresolved issue in the economic sector, particularly currency debate.

“The last issue is the economic sector. There are progresses that we have made in the area of currency. We have agreed that the two regions will issue separate currencies with coordination during an interim period in which the current Sudanese Pound will continue to be the legal tender for both north and south,” he said.

Amum added that they have not reached an agreement on who would be responsible for paying cost of recovering money in circulation incase the country splits into two.

“The remaining issue and we are discussing it to get solution is only one item on the issue of currency. This issue the question of who pays the cost of recovering the Sudanese money that is in the hands of the people or in the economy in the market. Is it the Central Bank of Sudan or both sides? This is the only one issue we have not reached an agreement but we are still discussing it,” he said.

(ST)