Ethiopia welcomes outcome of South Sudan referendum

February 3, 2011 (ADDIS ABABA) – The Ethiopian government on Thursday welcomed the preliminary results from last month’s referendum on South Sudanese independence.

“Ethiopia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs welcomes the peaceful and orderly conclusion of the South Sudan referendum and the announcement of the preliminary result by the South Sudan Referendum Commission,” reads a Ministry of Foreign Affairs statement issued on Thursday.

The Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC), which organised the voting process, officially announced the full preliminary results on Thursday, which showed a majority vote for separation.

“The people of South Sudan successfully exercise their rights to self-determination from 9-16 January 2011” said the ministry, referring to the preliminary referendum results.

The ministry said all engaged in the referendum process declared that the referendum was conducted freely and fairly and that the people of South Sudan were able to vote in a safe and conducive environment.

The ministry assured both parties and the people of Sudan that the Ethiopian government is ready to extend all necessary support to assist in all efforts to ensure the peace, prosperity and development of the two states and the region at large.

Ethiopia was one of the eight countries where Out-of-Country Voting (OCV) took place; others include Kenya, Uganda, Australia, Canada, the UK and the US. Final results are expected to be announced on 7 February.

According to preliminary results, south Sudan is heading towards secession, to form Africa’s newest state – the first in Africa since Eritrea, which gained independence from Ethiopia in 1993.

In an interview on state-owned Ethiopian TV on Thursday, Ethiopian prime minister, Meles Zenawi, described his country’s interest in the referendum:

“Ethiopia can be said to be the only country with balanced relations with both northern and southern Sudan. It has cordial relations with the north and the south. Ethiopia can be said to be a country in which both sides have confidence, and this is so because we have endeavoured to create relations that took into consideration the fact that both sides are our brothers.”

He warned that although the referendum was “conducted peacefully” there are still “a number of pending issues such as the border issue, and there is also the problem of Abyei and other issues.”

Underlining Ethiopia’s ties to both sides of the Sudanese border, he warned the international community that as the referendum is being dealt with, “there is a sanction imposed on north Sudan. This sanction could threaten the stability of northern Sudan.”

He described his concerns about the future of north Sudan as there are already “high price increases in north Sudan at the moment. There is considerable fall in exchange rate of [the Sudanese pound against] foreign currencies. Chances for instability are still open. It will be absurd to think that there will be peace in southern Sudan while the north suffers instability. The two will fall or rise together.”

Reiterating the importance of Sudan’s success for Ethiopia dramatically, Zenawi said “we will burn when Sudan burns, and since we have strong relations with both sides, we are striving to play a direct and positive role in the matter. It is an issue we are working on.”

(ST)