Al Bashir Announces Launching of Campaign for Fostering Unity

(SV)
President Omer Al Bashir called on the government of the South and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement (SPLA) to propagate freedom in the region for the conduction of a free, fair and transparent referendum that gives the citizens absolute freedom to access voting boxes to vote on either unity or secession.
In the meantime, the President announced the launching of a campaign in the South, with campaign provided with all the requirements needed for enlightening the people on the importance of unity and the risks of secession.
In addressing a Ramadan fast-breaking dinner held by the Coptic community in Khartoum, the President said that the Sudanese are united. "Despite the difficulties they faced and fierce war they went through, sitting at the "tree parliament" was the option to solve all problems," the President said. He added that the government has placed peace on the top of its strategy.
Al Bashir reaffirmed that the government is committed to the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. "The country is about to enter into an "important and dangerous" stage, he said, referring to the upcoming referendum and affirmed that the peace agreement has given the Southerners the option of managing the region to the extent that "some people feel that the South is being run as a neighboring state".
The President affirmed that majority of Southerners are behind the unity option and affirmed that the government is working for launching a campaign in the South and the transfer of activity to the region since those concerned with the referendum are the people of the South. "The Sudan is a united country until now and therefore every citizen has the right to move anywhere in the country," he said. He added, "We will give the people the opportunity and the resources to move in the region for enlightening the citizens on the risks of secession and benefits of unity. We want a secure and stable Sudan," he said.
In a new development, the SPLM has ended its dispute with the National Congress Party (NCP) over the appointment of a secretary general for the Referendum Commission by accepting NCP's opinion of selecting a Northern Sudanese to the post. 


Yasir Arman, SPLA's Deputy Secretary General has said that SPLM is focusing on the holding of the referendum on time more than on the dispute over who should fill the post. He added that it was possible that new dates be determined for some of the steps provided for in the referendum law, such as the provision calling for the completion of the registration of voters three months before the referendum date. "There is still sufficient time but it is possible that various operations can be amended within the same time frame and therefore SPLM is ready to accept a changed timetable. This includes the registration of voters," he said.
In the same context, 50 members of the Higher Committees for Referendum in the 10 Southern states have taken the oath of office in Juba before Professor Mohammed Ibrahim Khalil, Chairman of the Commission. Professor Khalil said the announcement of the formation of the Higher Committees for the Referendum in the South and the taking of the oath of office are a real start of the implementation of the Referendum Clause provided for in the Naivasha Peace Agreement. Professor Khalil called on the 50 members of the referendum committees for the ten Southern states to exert all efforts to make the referendum a success as envisaged. He referred to some difficulties that face the referendum process and called on all to work hard collectively to overcome such difficulties. He renewed the determination of the commission to carry out the referendum on the fixed date.
On his part, General Tariq Osman El Tahir, the rapporteur of the Referendum Commission told SMC that the Chairman of the Referendum Commission Professor Khalil and the Head of the United Nations Mission, Haile Menkorios, held a meeting with the President of the Government of Southern Sudan as soon as they had arrived in Juba. Both the Chairman of the Referendum Commission and the Head of the United Nations Mission affirmed in the meeting the commitment of the Government of the Southern Sudan to assist the Commission in overcoming all obstacles that face the progress of its work. According to El Tahir, Professor Khalil has affirmed that the Referendum Commission is firmly committed to the conducting of the referendum on the fixed date despite the short period remaining. He said the referendum would be dealt with by rescheduling the time limits with respect to some procedural matters. Mr. El Tahir added that the Referendum Commission would move to its new premises at El Taif district in Khartoum within the next two days for launching its work officially.


Structures of Referendum Commission ready in a week

(Mirayafm)
The Chairman of the South Sudan Referendum Commission, Mohammed Ibrahim Khalil, has assured that the final structures of the commission will be in place within a week after a breakthrough in the dispute on the appointment of the Secretary General of the Commission. Speaking to Radio Miraya, Khalil said the Commission has started to draw its budget and appointments of staff prior to setting up centers for the Referendum.
He said the Referendum Commission will do its best to carry out the Referendum as scheduled on the 9th of next January. In the meantime, the deputy UN Secretary General Representative to Sudan, Jasper Singh Lidder, has assured that the UN Chief, Ban Ki Moon, has appointed a UN three-member committee to monitor the Referendum.
Speaking to Radio Miraya in Wau in Western Bahr El Ghazal state, Lidder said the UN role is providing technical and logistical support, and monitoring. He added that the UN is working to increase staff in all southern Sudan counties.




Arab League Hopes Unity will be the Attractive Choice in Coming Referendum

(SUNA)
The Arab League has affirmed its keenness to boost the stability and peace in Sudan, hoping that unity will be the attractive choice of the Sudanese in the coming referendum, scheduled in January 2011. This was expressed by the envoy of the Arab League for Sudan, Ambassador Salah Halima in a press statement
He said that the Arab League hopes that the referendum will be fair and will be held in the fixed time
He referred to a local and international consensus that the referendum of south Sudan shall be held in the fixed time after completion of the arrangements and procedure for conducting it
Ambassador Halima said that the two partners the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) are engaged in talks for the post referendum stage, adding that efforts are being done to finalize the procedure and arrangements for holding the referendum in the fixed time and solving the pending issues


S Darfur governor: Government determined to control Kalma camp

(Mirayafm)
The governor of south Darfur state, Abdulhamid Musa Kahsa, has said that the government is determined to bring Kalma IDP camp under control as from Tuesday. Speaking after talks with UNAMID, Kasha said the government will consider the camp a hostile military base if the government forces faced any resistance within the camp.
Meanwhile, the UN Security Council condemned recent violence in Kalma camp and called for disarmament process. In a similar development, the Chairman of the Security Council, the Russian ambassador said that the UN Security Council members condemn inciting violence at Kalma camp.
The Russian ambassador welcomed the efforts exerted by UNAMID to increase patrols in order to maintain security in the camp. He added that the council expressed concern on denying humanitarian aid workers access to the camp.


Bandits kill three and seriously injure five in Unity state

(ST)
Bandits attacked Guit County in Dadok Payam killing two people and seriously wounding five late on Saturday evening, according to the county’s commissioner Puoy Yaka .
Yaka said that the bandits attacked a lorry travelling at night from Koch County to Dadok Payam.
Yaka told Sudan Tribune that as the lorry approached the border of Dadok Payam at 11.30pm the driver was ordered to stop by the bandits before they opened fire.
The commissioner said that the bandits shot and killed a shop owner who refused to give them money bringing the total killed to three.
Guit County commissioner has issued standing orders to all police forces and other relevant authorities in the county to provide tight security among the civilian within the area.
Gideon Gatpan Thoar, the State Minister of Information and Communication, said that necessary security measures will be introduced straight away. .
Thaor said the bandit attacks from Koch County began a few months ago and he hoped they could be solved amicably by improving security.


NCP/SPLM Dialogue over Unity and Secession

(Opinion)
The referendum for south Sudan self-determination has the lions share in the talks of these days of Ramadan during the time of breaking the fast. As a matter of fact most of the people agree that the unity and secession is in the hands of the SPLM more than the south Sudan people.
Accordingly the shortest road to achieve the unity is the direct dialogue with the SPLM over the unity requirements.
The dialogue with the SPLM should be conducted by the NCP because the latter is the only party capable to fulfill any commitments as a ruling party.
Other political forces can also participate in the dialogue and the NCP called the opposition parties for a consultative meeting to exchange views on the issue of referendum in particular recently.
However, the unity being the first option, then the first item in the dialogue should be over the unity requirements, and that requirements are included in the CPA but not with all the details to make it possible.
The CPA itself made the unity option the essence of the relation between the north and the south during the interim period.
The talk over a secular government to maintain unity has no justification because that issue has never been one of the southerners’ concerns besides the fact that it is there in Machakos protocols and in the CPA.
Those who spoke about the cancellation of Sharia laws in the north to maintain the unity of the country are a mere minority within the SPLM membership. They cannot override the view of the majority who are not worried about the sharia law.
We believe that the most important issues to be discussed between the NCP and the SPLM are the wealth sharing, and in particular the south Sudan oil revenues, besides the power sharing and other powers such as civil services and other national institutions.
All the above issues could be agreed upon through the strong political will of the CPA partners.
If Sudan remained united then a lot of issues will be dropped such as Abyei referendum and the demarcation between the north and the south because those borders will be just borders between states within a united Sudan.
All the foreign debts will remain the debts of the united Sudan without any disputes over who has to settle it in case of secession.
If the two partners agree on the necessity of maintaining a united Sudan, then the SPLM will lead the unity promotion campaigns in southern Sudan together with the support of the NCP and other partners in the national interest from other political forces.
Let us hope that our leaders consider all that for the sake of a united Sudan and its people.