SPLM Secretary General repeats separation call in Western Equatoria

January 7, 2011 (YAMBIO) – The SPLM Secretary General, Pagan Amum, on Thursday 6 visited Western Equatoria two days before southern Sudan referendum decides on whether to separate from the north or remain as one Sudan

Amum, who doubles as Minister of CPA Implementation, called on citizens of the southern Sudan state of Western Equatoria to vote for separation in the southern Sudan’s referendum, which begins on January 9.

“Let us vote for separation to have our own free nation,” says Amum.

Addressing the crowd at Yambio Freedom Square, Pagam said, he is in Western Equatoria as part of his tour to the southern Sudan states “to culminate the final stage of referendum campaign from the SPLM perspective.”

The people of southern Sudan will vote on referendum for self determination from 9-15 January.

He disclosed that “the SPLM’s mission in the two decades of Sudan’s civil war which claimed two million lives was to achieve freedom of the South from oppressions.”

“We as Southern Sudanese have to vote for the separation of the South to have our own free nation, a nation that will reflect freedom to all southern Sudanese,” he says.

The plebiscite is a key component of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between, former southern rebels the SPLM and the Khartoum-based National Congress Party.

Amum said that “the six years interim period to make the make Sudan’s Unity attractive has failed miserably; hence the only option is to vote for separation.”

He called for the peaceful conduct of the referendum, which he said has “to reach international standards and to show the world what the southern Sudanese need.”

“We in the SPLM, government of Southern Sudan and on behalf of the entire southern Sudan thank President Omar (Hassan) al-Bashir for his encouragement and support for the freedom of southern Sudan during the forthcoming referendum”, acknowledges Amum.

Amum stated that the potentially new nation will have “a good relationship with its neighboring countries more specially the The Republic of Sudan for free trade and movements of the citizens of the two countries.”

Economists in the region have predicted that the would-be nation region would, for sometime after independence, depend on Khartoum to strengthen its economy and institutions.

Amum stressed that it is the responsibility of every southern Sudanese “to start the development of the new nation, right after the referendum since it will be time for settlement.”

The SPLM Secretary General said that education of children was a priority of the Government of Southern Sudan (G0SS) after the referendum.

Concerning atrocities committed by the Uganda rebel group the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) in Western Equatoria state, the GOSS would be flushed out the after the referendum.

For five years the LRA, once based in northern Uganda have attacked civilians in Western Equatoria from their new base in the Central African Republic.

The UN and aid agencies have accused Joseph Kony and his fighters for displacing thousands in the state and abducting women and children.

So far there has been little intervention from the GoSS to stop the attacks. This has caused local group to start their own vigil ante groups to try and protect themselves.

The Catholic Bishop of Tambura–Yambio Diocese, Edwardo Hiiboro Kusala assured Pagan Amum that “Western Equatoria state is informed and ready for the upcoming referenda, definitely everybody is going to make a significant choice.”

Bishop Hiboro said that the state has difficult moments in the state especially insecurity caused by the LRA, which “needs the persona of Pagan [Amum’s] caliber in the state,” saying that his visit would help form a new bond of peace and a new country, which will “wipe the tears away from Western Equatoria.”

Bishop Hiiboro has played a leading role in supporting LRA victims in Western Equatoria state.

In related news, the State Chairperson of the Referendum High Committee, Sibrino Farajalah, assured Amum’s delegation that “everything will be on time on Sunday 9th Jan 2011 in all the 187 centers in Western Equatoria state.”

Sibrino called upon the churches to hold short prayers on Sunday and inform the congregation to report to where they registered in order to vote.

Western Equatoria registered over 218,635 voters for the referendum. According to official statistics 20 of those have died since registration ended December 15 in the two counties of Tambura and Yambio.

Women constitute 50.6% (110,060) of the 218,635 people registered in the state.

Thousands of Western Equatoria state citizens assembled at Yambio Airstrip to welcome the SPLM Secretary, with all the state executives, and lawmakers.

Before visiting Western Equatoria, Amum had visited Western Bahr el Ghazal and left Western Equatoria for Eastern Equatoria.

(ST)