Increased levels of insecurity in southern Sudan

Note that there seems to be little news coming out of Sudan re progress being made on implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement or what to expect from the upcoming ruling on the Abyei boundary.

From Sudan Radio Service, Monday, 13 July 2009:
Kenana Group Upset By Presidential Treatment

(Khartoum) – A group of southern Sudanese politicians calling themselves the “Kenana Group” have accused the President of the Government of southern Sudan, Salva Kiir Mayardit of refusing to meet and discuss with them the future of southern Sudan.

Speaking at a press conference in Khartoum on Sunday, the deputy-chairman and the official spokesperson of the Kenana Group, Angelo Beda, said his group has been disappointed by the treatment they received from Salva Kiir.

[Angelo Beda]: “The Kenana Group of south Sudanese political leaders, political activists, intellectuals, and elders, who met in Kenana, White Nile State, between 1st-3rd April 2009, hereby wish to release the letter the group had written to the President of the GOSS and the Chairman of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement, General Salva Kiir Mayardit. The document contains many issues of concern to the Kenana Group, about the situation in south Sudan. Since the issues in the document concern the future of our country and our people, we wish to make it known to the Sudanese public that we are most disappointed with the treatment our group has received from the President of the GOSS, refusing to meet our committee, for nearly four months. That is why it became necessary to publish the letter.”

Beda explained that the letter they submitted to the GOSS President contained four key issues of concern to the people of southern Sudan which include a review of the implementation of the CPA in southern Sudan over the last four years and preparation for elections and the referendum scheduled for 2011.

He claimed that President Kiir refused to meet them because of misinformation about the Kenana Group.

[Angelo Beda]: “An inaccurate report was taken to them in advance, we got the copy of the this report, which contained information which we never discussed, like we are going to use the elections to remove them from power It said that certain people left the National Congress Party to join the SPLM. They talked of a false scenario in which, if the President of the Republic is arrested [by the ICC], the NCP will destroy the South — all these are wrong. This information was wrong. This information was made for their gain and somebody went and handed it over to the president and we who are politicians, we could not meet the president.”

Beda said the Kenana group is not seeking political positions, but they are concerned about the future of southern Sudan.

He cited the increased levels of insecurity in southern Sudan, mentioning the incident in which three police officers were shot dead by the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Yambio town in Western Equatoria in 2007. Up to now, no investigation has been conducted into that incident.

The Kenana group will meet again on Monday night in Khartoum to discuss the next step they will take after having failed to meet the GOSS President.