Showing posts with label Pagan Amum. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Pagan Amum. Show all posts

Wednesday, December 29, 2010

Sudan's President Bashir sets Darfur talks deadline - Unity still viable in Sudan, says SPLM leader

SUDAN'S President Omar Al-Bashir has threatened to withdraw his delegation from the Doha peace talks if the Darfur anti-government group fails to reach a consensus by tomorrow, Thursday, 30 December 2010.

"If we reach an agreement tomorrow, praise be to God. But if there is no agreement, we will withdraw our negotiating team and the talks will then be held in Darfur," he told thousands of supporters in the South Darfur capital Nyala.

Al-Bashir added that the government rejects any humanitarian aid to Darfur and will abolish all internally displaced persons’ camps.

"We will fight those who choose to take up arms, but we will sit next to those who want development," he added in a speech broadcast live on state television.

In other news
  • President Bashir said that his government will be the first to recognize southern Sudan’s independence, should the south opt for secession in the referendum scheduled for 9th January 2011.
  • The two CPA partners, the NCP and the SPLM have reached agreements on most of the outstanding post referendum issues which include citizenship, security as well as international agreements.
  • The GOSS Minister for CPA Implementation and the SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum told SRS on Tuesday from Khartoum that he is optimistic that an agreement will be reached on the issue of citizenship before the referendum. Amum said that they have agreed on the principles on protection of northerners and southerners on either side in case of secession.
  • President Bashir has strongly reacted to the call by the national opposition forces for the formation of a national government in case the south secedes. The National coalition of opposition parties on Sunday threatened to remove the ruling National Congress Party from power if it continues to ignore their demand for a constitutional reform and national government.
  • The Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa arrived in Khartoum on Tuesday for a two day visit where he will meet with senior officials in Khartoum and Juba.
  • The League of Arab Nations has donated on Wednesday ten mobile clinics to the Government of southern Sudan to boost health services within the region.
  • The governor of Blue Nile State who is also the deputy chairman of the SPLM Malik Aggar says a united Sudan is still viable. Addressing a joint press conference in Khartoum on Wednesday, Aggar stated that he is still optimistic that Sudan would remain united.
  • The SPLM says it would continue as a political party in the north if the country split in two after the self determination referendum in January.
  • The twenty-second inter-school national sports’ tournaments ended on Wednesday in Khartoum. President Bashir who attended the closing ceremony, said the tournaments have for the 1st time unified students from all over the country.
  • Thousands of people have expressed interest to return to Abyei from the north following a statement made by President Bashir early this week. Mr Bashir announced that northern Sudan will move fully into an Islamic law state after the likely secession of the South in next month’s referendum. The SPLM secretary in Abyei, Chol Changat has attributed the large turnout of returnees from the north to Bashir’s statement.
  • The UN Secretary-General’s Panel on the Referenda in Sudan says it believes that the south 2011 self-determination referendum will be very transparent as the voter registration exercise was peaceful. All materials are in place for voters in South Sudan to cast ballots for self-determination in January, a U.N. election official said.
  • Sudan, Egypt and Libya vowed on Tuesday to respect the outcome of the south’s self determination referendum in January 2011. According to Sudan state radio, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and Libya's Muammar Gaddafi issued a statement calling for a peaceful, calm, transparent and credible environment that will reflect the will of southern Sudan's people. The statement follows a two hour meeting on Tuesday with President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and GOSS President Salva Kiir in Khartoum.
  • Ahmed Haroun the Governor of South Kordofan state has pledged to provide adequate security to protect internally displaced persons returning to their ancestral areas in Abyei and various parts of south Sudan.
  • In western Sudan, aid continues to flow into makeshift camps outside UNAMID team sites in North and South Darfur, where thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have sought refuge from recent clashes. However distribution to Shangil Tobaya in North Darfur has been momentarily suspended today after new restrictions on movement were put in place. UNAMID is collaborating with local security officials to gain access to all affected areas and ensure the safe delivery of aid.
SOURCES: See reports below.

Sudan's Bashir sets Darfur talks deadline
Source: AFP - www.google.com
Date: Wednesday, 29 December 2010. Excerpt:
(Khartoum) - Sudan will withdraw from the Darfur peace talks in Doha and organise its own negotiations if no agreement with the rebels is reached imminently, President Omar al-Bashir said on Wednesday.

"If we reach an agreement tomorrow, praise be to God. But if there is no agreement, we will withdraw our negotiating team and the talks will then be held in Darfur," he told thousands of supporters in the South Darfur capital Nyala.

"We will fight those who choose to take up arms, but we will sit next to those who want development," he added in a speech broadcast live on state television.

Sudanese officials had earlier set December 31 as the deadline for a Darfur peace accord, with a referendum on independence for the south, now just 11 days away, due to dominate the government's agenda next month.

Bashir's special adviser on Darfur, Ghazi Salaheddine, was expected to arrive in the Qatari capital on Wednesday to push the talks, according to Sudan's official SUNA news agency.

The Khartoum government has for months been trying to secure a comprehensive peace agreement with all Darfur rebel groups, to no avail.

Earlier in December, the government and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM), the most heavily armed group, resumed talks aimed at reaching a ceasefire.

The Liberty and Justice Movement (LJM), an alliance of rebel splinter factions, was expected to finalise a peace deal with Khartoum in mid-December after agreeing a ceasefire in March. But the accord was never signed.

Deadly violence in Sudan's war-torn western region since December 10 has displaced around 32,000 people, according to UN estimates.

"These clashes are deplorable and demonstrate the importance of a ceasefire... If the violence escalates, the general atmosphere in the negotiations will deteriorate," Djibril Bassole, the UN-African Union chief peace negotiator for Darfur, told AFP on Tuesday.

Bassole said he would try to persuade the different parties not to abandon the peace process, even if an agreement was not reached in the coming days.

"I am among those who want a swift and satisfactory solution. But mediation by someone with a stopwatch in his hand is not good mediation," he added. [...]
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Bashir Threatens To Withdraw Government Delegation From Al-Doha Peace Talks
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: Wednesday, 29 December 2010. Full copy:
29 December 2010 – (Nyala) – The Sudanese president has threatened to withdraw his delegation from the Doha peace talks if the Darfur anti-government group fails to reach a consensus by 30th December, 2010.

Omar Hassan Al-Bashir said that the negotiations will be transferred to Darfur and dealt with internally other than in foreign nations.

He was addressing a gathering in Nyala town, South Darfur during a signing ceremony of a charter on peaceful and social coexistence amongst Darfur people on Wednesday.

[Omar Al-Bashir]: “We want it to be the end of the rebellion. We thank our brothers in Qatar and the mediators for their patience and mediation. But we are saying this is enough, peace will be here from inside Darfur, because the people of Darfur are the ones who will bring about peace. We have put a deadline till tomorrow (Thursday), if peace is achieved, that is what we want. But if there isn’t an agreement, we will withdraw our delegation from Doha and the negotiations will be done inside Darfur. The people of Darfur are the ones who will determine the present and future of Darfur, but not anybody who is carrying a gun.”

Al-Bashir added that the government rejects any humanitarian aid to Darfur and will abolish all internally displaced persons’ camps.

[Omar Al-Bashir]: “We don’t want humanitarian aid and we don’t want internal displaced persons (IDP) any longer. All of us are citizens, and first class citizens for that matter. No one will be considered as a second or a third class citizen.”

President Al-Bashir warned that the government will use force against any armed group that rejects peaceful resolutions in Darfur.
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Further Reading

President Bashir To Recognize South's Independence Incase Of Separation
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: Wednesday, 29 December 2010. Full copy:
29 December 2010 – (Wad Medani) - President Omar al-Bashir said that his government will be the first to recognize southern Sudan’s independence, should the south opt for secession in the referendum scheduled for 9th January 2011.

Al-Bashir’s statement comes a mid preparations for the south Sudan referendum, where southerners will choose to vote for either unity or separation of the Sudan.

Al-Bashir was addressing a gathering on Martyrs Day on Tuesday in Wad-Medani town.

[Omar Al-Bashir]: “We want to tell our people there in the south, that now the ball is in your ground, and the decision is yours, if you vote for unity, you are most welcome and we are brothers. If you vote for separation, you are most welcome as well, and you are welcome as a new neighboring country, so as we co-operate and work together in every thing.”

On Tuesday, the two partners to the CPA, the SPLM and the NCP said they have reached an agreement on most post-referendum contentious issues, and hope that an agreement will be reached on the issue of citizenship before the referendum.
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CPA Partners Agree On Most Post Referendum Issues
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: Tuesday, 28 December 2010. Full copy:
28 December 2010 – (Khartoum) - The two CPA partners, the NCP and the SPLM have reached agreements on most of the outstanding post referendum issues which include citizenship, security as well as international agreements.

The GOSS Minister for CPA Implementation and the SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum told SRS on Tuesday from Khartoum that he is optimistic that an agreement will be reached on the issue of citizenship before the referendum.

Amum said that they have agreed on the principles on protection of northerners and southerners on either side in case of secession.

He stressed that the rights of people will be protected and guaranteed and return would be voluntary. He however said only one issue on citizenship has not been agreed upon.

[Pagan Amum]: “The only issue that is left for us is the issue of according those northern Sudanese who are attached to southern Sudan who have been living permanently in southern Sudan, the right to choose between citizenship of southern Sudan and nationality of southern Sudan or retaining the right of Sudanese citizenship in the north. The same also to southern Sudanese who are permanent residents in northern Sudan that need also to be given the right to choose either the citizenship in the north or retaining or assessing citizenship in the new state of southern Sudan. We are hopeful that we will be able to reach agreement on the all the issues of citizenship before the referendum.”

Amum 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.

According to Amum, another unresolved issue pertains to the currency.

[Pagan Amum]: “The last issue is the economic sector. There are progress that we have made in the area of currency where we have agreed that southern and northern Sudan will issue their own currency and that will be coordinated and there is going to be an interim period in which the current Sudanese Pound will continue to be the legal tender for both south and north and we are left with only one item on the issue of currency, it is 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 one issue we have not reached an agreement on.”

Amum stressed the importance of the registered people to come out and participate in the forth coming referendum.
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Bashir Strongly Criticizes Opposition Over Demands For National Government
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: Tuesday, 28 December 2010. Full copy:
28 December 2010 – (Khartoum) - President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir has strongly reacted to the call by the national opposition forces for the formation of a national government in case the south secedes.

The National coalition of opposition parties on Sunday threatened to remove the ruling National Congress Party from power if it continues to ignore their demand for a constitutional reform and national government.

Bashir was addressing a gathering on Martyrs Day on Tuesday in Wad-Madani town.

[Omar Al-Bashir]: “Let us come to those who talk, they are traders of politics and are known to you all. You have experience with all of them. What did they say? They said they will dismantle our salvation regime, they will remove the regime from power, and they will sweep the salvation. The salvation regime is currently the Sudanese people, it is not the revolution command council, or the national assembly or governments, it is the Sudanese people. When the Sudanese people voted for the symbol of the tree in the last elections, they voted to the salvation and projects of salvation, principles of salvation and vision of salvation, anyone saying he wants to uproot salvation, let him lick his elbow.”

The NCP Information Secretary Fateh Al-Rahman Sheila, said that the regime derives its legitimacy from the National Constitution which was approved by all political forces. He said the opposition political forces are a key part of the National Assembly, which passed the Constitution.
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Arab League SG Visits Sudan
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: Tuesday, 28 December 2010. Full copy:
28 December 2010 – (Khartoum) - The Secretary General of the Arab League, Amr Moussa is expected to arrive in Khartoum on Tuesday for a two day visit where he will meet with senior officials in Khartoum and Juba.

The purpose of the trip is to review the implementation of the CPA and to get acquainted with preparations for the south Sudan referendum that is due in less than two weeks.

The Arab League Ambassador in Khartoum Mr. Salah Abuhalima spoke to SRS from Khartoum on Tuesday.

[Salah Abuhalima]: “The purpose of the visit is to look into the referendum, and the articles regarding the implementation of the CPA, to make sure that the referendum is carried out in a transparency and peaceful manner, relations between both ruling parties in north and south to be based on common interests and good neighborliness and peaceful coexistence. We will meet many political leaders.”

Arab League Secretary General, Amr Moussa will meet both President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir and GOSS President Salva Kiir among other senior officials.
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GOSS Receives 10 Mobile Clinics From League Of Arab Nations
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: Wednesday, 29 December 2010. Excerpt:
(Juba) - The League of Arab Nations has donated on Wednesday ten mobile clinics to the Government of southern Sudan to boost health services within the region.
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Unity Still Viable In Sudan, Says SPLM Leader
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: Friday, 24 December 2010. Full copy:
24 December 2010 – (Khartoum) - The governor of Blue Nile State who is also the deputy chairman of the SPLM Malik Aggar says a united Sudan is still viable.

Addressing a joint press conference in Khartoum on Wednesday, Aggar stated that he is still optimistic that Sudan would remain united.

[Malik Aggar]: “I am still dreaming of unity and I will work for unity until I feel that unity is no longer possible. The nature of things may change and the nature of things may change from the person who is calling for it and he is not taking effective part in it. I think that very few of us here will go to the polls in order to determine the destiny of the country but some people in a certain geographical area in the country will be the ones to determine the future of the country, but we hope that there will be unity. If it is so, all of us will rejoice and if it is the reverse then that would mean that the people in a certain geographical area in Sudan have decided their destiny and have chosen their way. We will respect the way they choice regardless of our feeling towards the same.”

Meanwhile, the deputy governor and SPLM Chairman in Southern Kordofan State, Abdul-Aziz Adam Al-Hilu warned that if Southern Sudan secedes, the areas should not be forgotten.

[Abdul-Aziz Al-Hilu]: “There are attempts to sideline the two areas: The Nuba Mountains and Blue Nile, but I would like to assure that these two areas are part and parcel of the CPA and parts of the dividends enshrined in the six protocols: power sharing, wealth sharing and security arrangements. There is also a special protocol concerning the two areas due to their special situation. And because of the concern for these areas that was why there is a special protocol for the two areas which gives them special status and gives them rights to recognize their situation. And in case of secession of southern Sudan, this does not mean that the CPA has collapsed completely and that the dividends achieved in it are lost. There were people behind these dividends.”

Mister Al-Hilu also warned that in case of secession, any new constitutional arrangements in northern Sudan should be done with the approval of the people of the two areas.

[Abdul-Aziz Al-Hilu]: “If it happens that the south chooses secession and any constitutional arrangements, they must be presented to the people of the two areas for approval. This is not something that should be done unilaterally or done by one party without consulting the two areas, but we also think that anything of this kind should be subjected to the opinion of all political forces and all political social categories and also other parties.”

Mister Al-Hilu stressed that the popular consultation is the only solution to the problems of the remaining part of the Sudan that will be in northern Sudan.
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SPLM To Operate In The North In Case Of Secession, Says Official
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: Thursday, 23 December 2010. Full copy:
23 December 2010 – (Khartoum) - The SPLM says it would continue as a political party in the north if the country split in two after the self determination referendum in January.

The SPLM Deputy Secretary-General for Northern Sector Yasir Arman addressed a press conference in Khartoum on Wednesday.

[Yasir Arman]: “The SPLM is there to stay in northern Sudan and it will remain in northern Sudan for two main reasons: it will work for the realization of a new northern Sudan that enjoys lasting peace and sustainable development and democracy. Two, the SPLM will remain in northern Sudan also for re-unification of Sudan once again on a new basis even if the south seceded.”

Arman also suggested that the National Congress Party should accept rotational presidency in order to convince southern Sudanese to vote for unity at last moment.

[Yasir Arman]: “The NCP has up to twenty-five hours before the referendum on the 9th of January a chance but it must present a new constitutional arrangement to Southern Sudan. It must suggest to the people who would vote on the 9th of January that it would accept rotational presidency and must accept the presence of the Sudan People’s Liberation Army even in case of unity of the Sudan, must accept new wealth sharing arrangements for the people of southern Sudan. This new arrangement is good even if Southerners vote for secession perhaps it would convince some southerners to vote for unity because this gives hope for the re-unification of Sudan in the future.”

Arman also said once a new country is declared in Southern Sudan on the 9th of July next year, the SPLM would want the war in western Sudan’s region of Darfur to stop.

He said the SPLM leadership is ready to lead mediation between northern Sudan and the Darfur factions in order to bring lasting peace in the region.
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Bashir Says Inter-School Tournaments A Prove Of Coexistence
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: Thursday, 23 December 2010. Full copy:
(Khartoum) - The twenty-second inter-school national sports’ tournaments ended on Wednesday in Khartoum.

President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir who attended the closing ceremony, said the tournaments have for the 1st time unified students from all over the country.

[Omar Al-Bashir]: “For the first time in Sudan’s history, Sudanese students gathered in the south, since independence. Our people in the south are now happy because they saw their children and they were received well. We thank the people of Wau, Kwajok and Aweil for receiving the students and celebrating with them. It would have been a great shock for the students if our brothers in Khartoum state did not decide to host the games in a short time. This is because this is Khartoum; it is the capital of Sudan, where all the people of Sudan are represented.”

The governor of Khartoum state Dr. Abdulrahman Al-Kiddir said the games unified the people of Sudan.

[Abdulrahman Al-Kidir]: “Regardless of the shortage of time and confusion caused by the cancellation or postponement of the session to unknown date at Wau, regardless of all these, but thanks to God the session completed in well. We are happy that it accomplished its objectives; it achieved the practical unity between different parts of Sudan. Looking at the field I am sure that the whole of Sudan is presented here, therefore this is greatest achieved message that the Sudan is united and by God’s will it will never be separated and nobody will be able to do that.”

The tournaments which started on December 14th had been canceled in both Northern Bahr el-Ghazal and Warrap states.
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Influx Of Returnees To Abyei Attributed To Bashir's Statement
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: Thursday, 23 December 2010. Full copy:
23 December 2010 – (Abyei) - Thousands of people have expressed interest to return to Abyei from the north following a statement made by President Bashir early this week.

President Omar Al-Bashir announced that northern Sudan will move fully into an Islamic law state after the likely secession of the South in next month’s referendum.

The SPLM secretary in Abyei, Chol Changat has attributed the large turnout of returnees from the north to Bashir’s statement.

He spoke to SRS on Thursday from Abyei.

[Chol Changat]: “Abyei administration was planning to get 20 thousand but when I was talking yesterday with the organizing committee they said it has reached to 70 thousand. The number has shot up. The reason is that the NCP said that if the south separates from the north then we do not have any ethnic group. It is only going to be sharia law and you only speak in Arabic. This statement by Bashir has made people to come out. To go to the square and say they want to come home. That is the fear. That is what made the number go to 70 thousand people who want to come back.”

The SPLM and the NCP are still deadlocked over who is eligible to vote in the Abyei referendum slowing down the formation of the Abyei Referendum Commission.

Abyei which is supposed to be conducting a referendum concurrently with the south on the 9th of January as it was stipulated in the CPA may not hold the vote.
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UN Panel Optimistic That Referendum Vote Will Be Transparent And Peaceful
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: Wednesday, 22 December 2010. Full copy:
22 December 2010 – (Khartoum) - The UN Secretary-General’s Panel on the Referenda in Sudan says it believes that the south 2011 self-determination referendum will be very transparent as the voter registration exercise was peaceful.

The Chairperson of the UN Secretary-General’s Panel on the Referenda in Sudan, the former Tanzanian President Benjamin Mkapa addressed a press conference in Khartoum on Wednesday.

[Benjamin Mkapa]: “We have based our assessment first from our own observations because we did visit a couple of registration centers. We have field officers of our own as panel who have reported so. There are observers: international observers as well as domestic observers in both north and south who have attested to the transparency of the process and we have no reason to doubt them, and they have given statements to that effect. Whether this referendum vote will be more transparent than the ones in the elections in April, I can only say that in the south we have certainly been told that they believe that the voting this time round will be more transparent than the April’s voting.”

Mkapa said that the court cases filed against the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission pose real challenges to the process leading to the 9th of January referendum.

[Benjamin Mkapa]: “We are concerned about the court cases naturally and our hope is that they can be concluded so that we can know one way or another whether the 9th of January will hold. We have heard that there are as many as possible; it rises from four to six cases we don’t know. We do know for the fact that the commission has received information about one case where they have been asked to response to the petition and I believe they will do so speedily. Our hope is that the court will settle these cases as urgently as possible so that work can go on.”

Mkapa further assured the press that his panel has not received any report on insecurity in southern Sudan that may delay the conduct of the referendum.

On the Abyei referendum, Mister Mkapa stated that they are concerned about the delayed process and urged everyone involved in the negotiations to do their utmost best to reach a peaceful and permanent settlement acceptable to all.
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Everything in place for South Sudan vote
Source: UPI - www.upi.com
Date: Wednesday, 29 December 2010. Excerpts:
All materials are in place for voters in South Sudan to cast ballots for self-determination in January, a U.N. election official said. [...] U.N. officials delivered more than 4 million ballots to regional voters after severe weather in Europe threatened delays. Ballots were distributed to election officials in Juba, the capital of South Sudan; and in Khartoum, Sudan's capital. Eamon O'Mordha, the deputy director of the U.N. Integrated Referendum and Electoral Division, said in a statement that everything was set for the vote, scheduled to take place for one week starting Jan. 9. "I am happy to say that all the materials and plans are in place to meet the goal of a timely start to the referendum," he said. [...] The ballot features two symbols -- one featuring a single hand for independence and another depicting two hands for unity.
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Egypt And Libya To Respect Outcome Of Self Determination Referendum For South
Source: SRS - Sudan Radio Service - www.sudanradio.org
Date: Wednesday, 22 December 2010. Full copy:
22 December 2010 – (Khartoum) - Sudan, Egypt and Libya vowed on Tuesday to respect the outcome of the south’s self determination referendum in January 2011.

According to Sudan state radio, Egypt's President Hosni Mubarak and Libya's Muammar Gaddafi issued a statement calling for a peaceful, calm, transparent and credible environment that will reflect the will of southern Sudan's people.

The statement follows a two hour meeting on Tuesday with President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and GOSS President Salva Kiir in Khartoum.

The adviser to the federal minister of information Rabie Abdullaati spoke to SRS on Tuesday.

[Rabie Abdullaati]: “The presidency assured both the Egyptian leader, Mohamed Hosni Mubarak and the Libyan, Muammar Gaddafi to look into how to support efforts by both partners to reach agreements over pending issues, which include the post referendum issues, concerns of security and peaceful coexistence and issues related to preserving joint and to avoid interfering with regional security whatever the result of the self determination referendum for the people of southern Sudan.”

Both presidents have in the past called for the nation to remain united.
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South Kordofan governor pledges adequate security for returnees
Source: B'Nai Darfur - www.bnaidarfur.org
Author: Sudan Tribune
Date: Wednesday, 29 December 2010. Excerpt:
December 26, 2010 (ABYEI) – Ahmed Haroun the Governor of South Kordofan state has pledged to provide adequate security to protect internally displaced persons returning to their ancestral areas in Abyei and various parts of south Sudan.

Haroun was speaking at the briefing held at Abyei administrative headquarters office with the regions chief administrator, Deng Arop Kuol on December 23.
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Sudan: 29 Dec 2010 - Update on security situation
Source: United Nations-African Union Mission in Darfur (UNAMID)
Reprinted at ReliefWeb - www.reliefweb.int
Date: Wednesday, 29 December 2010. Full copy:
29 December 2010 - Aid continues to flow into makeshift camps outside UNAMID team sites in North and South Darfur, where thousands of internally displaced persons (IDPs) have sought refuge from recent clashes. However distribution to Shangil Tobaya in North Darfur has been momentarily suspended today after new restrictions on movement were put in place. UNAMID is collaborating with local security officials to gain access to all affected areas and ensure the safe delivery of aid.

An assessment mission carried out by UNAMID and several UN aid agencies today met with local authorities and IDP leaders in Khor Abeche and Shaeria in South Darfur, where over 10,000 people have been sheltered. UNAMID peacekeepers today escorted a four-truck humanitarian convoy to Shaeria.

The Mission is also investigating reports of conflict in Kazanjadeed, about 40 km from Shaeria, which has allegedly resulted in thousands of new displacements.

An inter-agency mission to Zamzam camp, outside El Fasher in North Darfur, has observed that around one hundred IDPs, mostly women and children, have arrived from the Shangil Tobaya area. Revised figures put the number of IDPs in and around Shangil Tobaya at 14,000, with an estimated 5,000 at the UNAMID team site.

Tomorrow, UNAMID military, police and civilian peacekeepers are to embark on a four-day verification and confidence-building mission from El Fasher to Shangil Tobaya, Jebel Tin and Dar al-Salam.

Meanwhile, the security situation in all team sites remains tense and UNAMID has taken additional measures to ensure the protection of civilians and increased the frequency and scope of its day and night patrols.

Thursday, September 02, 2010

Q & A with Sudan’s oil minister Lual Deng - S. Sudan youth forum condemns Deng for describing Garang as a unionist

ON 10 July 2010, the day of the Post Referendum Arrangement Talk held in Sudan's capital Khartoum, northern and southern Sudanese leaders said they would consider forming a confederation or a common market if southerners chose to declare independence in a referendum which is scheduled for January 9, 2011. Here below are some photos showing northern and southern Sudanese cheering together during the opening session of the talk.

Also, noted below is news of a southern Sudan youth forum criticising Sudan's oil minister, Lual Deng, for describing the late Dr John Garang as a unionist; plus a copy of Asharq Al-Awsat's recent "Q & A with Sudan’s Minister of Petroleum, Dr Lual Deng" authored by Mohammad Ali Salih; followed by a report from Sudan Tribune and some further reading including today's Quote of the Day re the late Dr Garang's visit to Egypt 'where he convinced President Hussni Mubarak and his Government that he was a unionist, not a separatist'. Incidentally, note the following excerpt from a press digest 2/6/2005 published at the website of Egypt's Ministry of Foreign Affairs re Mubarak, Garang discuss Khartoum-SPLM peace pact 1/6/2005:
"... Following talks with President Mubarak, Mr. Garang said he discussed with the Egyptian leader the latest developments of the peace process in Sudan and formulating the national constitution, especially that the National Commission for the Revision of the Constitution (NCRC) was holding its meeting in the southern Sudanese town of Rumbek.

"I presented to President Mubarak a detailed explanation on the progress achieved so far in carrying out the peace pact," he said, noting that everything is going very well.

"I hope that by mid-June we could finalise drafting the interim constitution so as to refer it to the parliaments in the north and the south for ratification," Garang told reporters.

Following this step, he continued, a national unity government will be formed by July 9.

Garang announced that the team drawing up an interim constitution has agreed that the traditional Islamic phrase "Bismallah al-Rahman al-Rahim" or "In the name of God, the Gracious, the Most Merciful" will appear in the text for the Muslim north but not for the non-Muslim south to bridge a sensitive religious divide.

"That has been resolved," Garang said, adding that the agreement was based on principles laid down in part of the peace deal that was agreed in Machakos, Kenya, that allows for shari'a to be imposed in the north and secular system in the south," he told reporters.

"We are working in order not to divide the Sudan. We want unity in diversity," he said when asked whether the compromise was a sign the country was heading towards division.

The Khartoum-SPLM peace pact involves splitting state and religion so sharia law would not be applied in the south.

The SPLM leader noted that he discussed with President Mubarak the need to reach comprehensive peace in Sudan that includes the province of Darfur as well as eastern Sudan.

"I also asked President Mubarak for what Egypt could offer to contribute to resolving the remaining problems, especially regarding the National Democratic Alliance given the fact that Egypt is a mediator between Khartoum government and the alliance," Garang said.

Garang called Darfur a tragic problem where citizens suffer a lot. "We really need to conclude a fair and comprehensive peace pact like that of the south," he noted. ..."
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Southern Youth Forum Criticizes Statement By Oil Minister
Report from SRS - Sudan Radio Service - Wednesday, 01 September 2010
(Juba) – The South Sudan Youth Forum for Referendum has criticized a statement by the federal oil minister.

Minister Lual Deng was quoted by the Sudan Tribune on Sunday as saying that unity is the best option for the people of southern Sudan. He added that the late Dr. John Garang had always been in favor of unity.

The Secretary-General of South Sudan Youth for Referendum, David Amuor spoke to SRS on Tuesday in Juba.

[David Amuor]: “We condemn Lual Deng Acuek for describing our late hero Dr John Garang to have been a unionist. That is totally a lie. Lual Deng Acuek does not represent the views of southern Sudanese as he mentioned. He has no right to express these views since he is not a member of either the SPLM or the National Congress Party.”

David Amuor was speaking to SRS on Tuesday in Juba.
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Q & A with Sudan’s Minister of Petroleum, Dr. Lual Deng
From Asharq Al-Awsat - Monday, 30 August 2010
By Mohammad Ali Salih

In an interview with Asharq Al-Awsat in Washington, Dr. Lual Achuil Deng, the new Sudanese Minister of Petroleum, and the first Southerner to be appointed in this position, after years of disputes between Northern and Southern Sudanese over the production of oil wells that are mostly in the South, said he has started “an era of transparency.”

He added: “We will put everything on the Internet, for the Southerners, the Northerners, and the rest of the world to verify. We will put up daily production figures and daily revenue figures.”

Describing himself as a “long-standing unionist,” he acknowledged that the amount of time left before the scheduled referendum in the South, in January 2011, might not be enough to convince Southerners not to vote for Southern secession. But, he stressed: “I am an optimistic person.”

Deng (61 years old), was born in Bor, in Jonglei State in Southern Sudan. He holds two degrees from American universities: an M.A. in Economics from the University of Iowa, and PhD in Economics from University of Wisconsin. In Iowa, his colleague and close friend was John Garang, who studied there and obtained a PhD in Economics. Later, Garang established and led Sudan’s People Liberation Movement (SPLM), Sudan’s Peoples Liberation Army (SPLA), and fought in the struggle that culminated in the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended half a century of civil war between Southern rebels and the Sudanese army.

Deng, after completing his PhD, joined the World Bank, then the African Development Bank, and later rejoined his friend Garang as an economic consultant, and participated in the talks that culminated in the CPA. When the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) was established, in accordance with the CPA, Deng became Minister of Finance in Juba. Later, he moved to Khartoum to join the Government of National Unity (GONU) as State Minister of Finance.

After the national elections in April 2010, and the reshuffling of the National Government, Deng was appointed Minister of Petroleum, the first Southerner to take the post.

Last week, he visited the US, for the first time in his new position.

Q: What is the purpose of your visit to the US and what were the results of your discussions with American officials?

A: I am visiting the US as a private person. I did not meet with any American officials.

Q: Do you believe that the US officials support the continuation of Sudan as a united country, or prefer that the Southerners vote for separation?

A: I haven’t participated in any discussion with American officials on this subject. Of course, the US has repeatedly declared its support for the full implementation of the CPA, including the scheduled referendum in January; and also its strong desire that the Southerners vote freely and fairly for either unity or separation. I understand this position and strongly support it. But during private talks, it seemed that the Americans would prefer the continuation of a united Sudan. I believe that is the case because, according to their interpretation of American national security and strategic interests, a separate South would not be a viable state. It would face many internal problems; and would endanger the unity and stability of neighboring countries; in the overall region of the Horn of Africa, to the east of Sudan, and the region of Equatorial Africa, to the south of Sudan.

Q: Do you think General Scott Grasion, President Obama’s special envoy to Sudan, supports Sudan’s unity or the secession of the South?

A: As I said, I didn’t have any official discussions with any American official on this subject, but my [previous] private talks with General Grasion led me to believe that he was in favour of unity.

Q: How about President Obama?

A: I have never met him. But, I believe he also prefers a united Sudan. If for no other reason, because instability in the South, the North, and in the wider region, would not serve US interests. Now, you work and live in Washington, and you know the complications surrounding US foreign policy. As for the US policy towards Sudan, you know there are different lobbying groups that, at least during the last few years, have played important roles. I don’t want to name names, but you know the organizations and the lobbying forces that prefer Southern Sudan’s separation. You and I know this is how US foreign and domestic policies are formulated. I would say: let us make use of the freedom of the American system and present our views as strongly as we can.

Q: You are a leader in the SPLM; do you support the separation of the South or a united Sudan?

A: I am indebted to John Garang, my colleague, friend, boss and teacher. I was initially in favour of separation, but he convinced me that it is in Southern, let alone Northern, interests to keep Sudan united. Garang used to say: “Look at the Americans. They fought each other and their country was almost divided into two or more [countries] during the 19th Century. But, they succeeded in ending the Civil War, and agreed to peacefully solve their problems and maintain a united country. Now, the Americans are a shining example for the whole world in terms of plurality, and racial and religious tolerance.”

I also support Sudan’s unity because I have been a strong believer in Pan-Africanism, as pioneered by Kwami Nkruma, Ghana’s first president, and in Negritude, as pioneered by Leopold Senghor, Senegal’s first president. Therefore, wouldn’t it be logical that I also support the unity of Sudan?

Q: What do you say to your fellow Southern Sudanese who support the separation of the South?

A: What I just told you. On one side for me, it is a matter of principle, that unity has more advantages than separation. In other words, one hand can’t clap, but two can.

On the other side, there are tangible advantages as far as the Southerners are concerned. Take my example. I used to be a member of the Southern government, and am now a member of the National government. Not many Northern Sudanese have this advantage. Right now, the Southerners rule themselves and share in ruling the North at the same time. What else do we, the Southerners, want?

Q: What do you say to the many Southern Sudanese in the US who clearly support the separation of the South?

A: First, I believe those who live in the US, this free, democratic and highly developed country should learn a lesson or two and try to apply some of the American achievements in Sudan.

Secondly, we all might complain about the conditions in Sudan, but we know that once we leave Sudan and live in foreign countries, we tend to miss our native country, and tend to appreciate it despite all its problems.

Thirdly, as I said, I was in favour of separation, but became older and wiser and changed my mind. I hope this young generation of Southerners in the US will grow up and become wise. In the meantime, I would say to them: “Don’t sit here and make judgments about the far away Sudan. Don’t talk about the possibility of the renewal of war if you are not ready to go there and fight. Don’t enjoy the air-conditioning here and think you can express the feelings of your brothers and sisters in the forests.”

Q: Some Southerners severely criticize, and complain about, the policies of the National Congress Party (NCP, led by President al-Bashir and the ruling party of Sudan); and say that its Islamic Civilization Project (ICP) is the reason they support separation?

A: I don’t want to defend al-Bashir and the ICP because they are able to defend themselves. But I want to defend the Sudan, its unity, heritage, hopes and aspirations. The Sudan, throughout centuries, has seen rulers come and go, and projects appearing and disappearing.

Q: Some of your Southern colleagues say you have abandoned “Sudan Jadeed” (New Sudan) slogan that was pioneered by John Garang?

A: John Garang raised the “Sudan Jadeed” slogan. Also, he raised “Sudan Wahid” (One Sudan) slogan.

Also, how can the Southerners establish a new Sudan, if they want to leave Sudan itself?

Furthermore, I strongly believe that the new Sudan is simply the old Sudan. I believe that Kush civilization (before Islam and Arabism) was a pure African civilization. I will tell you a story: recently, my daughter, who was born in the US and is a US citizen, visited Merowe in northern Sudan and saw the pyramids that were built by early Sudanese civilizations. She came back and told me that I was right in opposing Southern separation, and in saying the new Sudan is indeed the old Sudan.

So, if the North is indeed the South [i.e. a united Sudan], why would the Southerners want to leave it to the Northerners [laughs]?

Q: There is a leader in the SPLM who is clearly against Southern separation, Pagan Amum, SPLM Secretary General. Yet in an interview with “Asharq Alawsat’ two months ago, he said the SPLM shouldn’t declare whether it supported unity or separation, and should let the Southerners decide for themselves?

A: First of all, Amum, sometimes, says things that reflect only his personal views. Secondly, why are we leaders if we do not want to lead? Thirdly, Silva Kiir, Vice President of Sudan, President of the GOSS and of SPLM, has said many times that he supports a united Sudan.

Q: Some Southerners accuse President al-Bashir’s government of cheating the South out of oil revenues, since most of the oil wells are in the South.

A: On my first day as Minister of Petroleum, I declared my policy of transparency in Sudan's oil sector, and promised that I would start publishing figures regarding the daily oil output on the Minsitry’s website, on the Internet.

I strongly believe that it is this lack of transparency, or the perceived lack of transparency, that has fuelled mistrust between partners. We want to enhance trust between the North and South.

Q: Some Southerners say it is not enough that you declare transparency. You should compensate the South for the al-Bashir government’s deception since the CPA in 2005.

A: Like I said, I will publish daily production figures. Also, I will conduct a full independent audit regarding the oil industry since 2005, to prevent future conflict over oil.

I hope to comfort all the Sudanese by stating that there will now be transparency, even if it did not exist in the past.

The audit will basically look at oil production since 2005 - it will be conducted by an independent firm. Our preference is to accelerate the process so that the results are made available before the referendum.

Q: The international non-governmental organization Global Witness said last year that there were inconsistencies on the part of the Sudan government, regarding the exact figures of oil production and revenues. Furthermore it claimed that roughly six billion dollars, supposed to go the South since the CPA in 2005, were missing?

A: I don’t think this is true. And you can ask Global Witness. Recently, Global Witness participated in a landmark transparency seminar in Khartoum, which we organised. Global Witness said it was impressed by the openness with which all sides participated in the event. They emphasised that the discrepancies uncovered did not mean that six billion dollars were missing, but only about 10 percent (about 600 million dollars). Anyway, I assured them of my new policy of transparency.

Q: What are the prospects of oil production in Sudan?

A: We expect to increase oil production by up to one-third by next year, reaching as high as 600,000 barrels per day. Current average output is between 450,000 and 470,000 from the two blends - Nile and Dar.

Recently, we and the Finnish firm, Fenno Caledonian, signed an oil and gas exploration agreement for the north-eastern part of Sudan, in the states of Gadaref, Kasala, River Nile, and Gezira. The company also works in Dongola.

As you can see, this indicates the influx of European investment in Sudan. French oil giant Total, which has a huge untapped reserve in south Sudan, asked us about guarantees to keep its concessions after the referendum. I assured them of this, whatever the result of the referendum. As you know, Western firms mostly pulled out during the North-South civil war and the sector is currently dominated by Asian companies. But, I want to open the door for every company, from every country.
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Further Reading



Southern Sudanese gather at the grave of their first president John Garang in July 2010, in memory of those killed in a 22-year long war with the north. (AFP/File/Peter Martell - Sun Aug 8, 2010; 3:48 PM ET)

Sudan’s oil minister criticizes secessionist voices, supports unity
Sudan Tribune - Monday, 30 August 2010
(Note: 60 comments)

Dr. Deng is entitled to his opinion but...
Sudan Tribune - Wednesday, 1 September 2010
Opinion piece by Isaiah Abraham

“What do we [Southerners] want more?" the Unionist Oil Minister, Dr. Lual Achuil Deng, asks!
South Sudan News Agency - Wednesday, 01 September 2010
Opinion piece by Dr Justin Ambago Ramba (a concerned South Sudanese citizen residing in the United Kingdom) - excerpt:
"... In the damaging interview that Dr. Lual Deng had with the London based Arabic Daily – the Al Sharq Al Awsat…Sunday 29th August 2010, Edition: 11597 can be considered as a continuum of contradictions within the SPLM’s inner circles. The very long (over seven pages) interview, which the Sudan Tribune 30/08/2010 only managed to publish a summary- clearly confirms that the SPLM was and is not uniformly indoctrinated in any one ideology or even a common vision for that matter. [...] For the in depth knowledge and first hand information about the infamous interview I advise you to visit the al Sharq al Awsat website and please read the Arabic version, which is original and authentic. ..."
Quote of the Day
"In 1998 Garang visited Egypt where he convinced President Hussni Mubarak and his Government that he was a Unionist, not a Separatist. Garang believed in a New Democratic Sudan with modern values as opposed to the old despotic Sudan. He wanted to extend the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) model to the other regions as the best solution of their political problems. He wanted to establish the New Democratic Sudan in Khartoum whereby all the five regions of Sudan converge to form a truly strong Federal Government. The Constitution of this Federal Government would be worked out by the elected Parliament in Khartoum. Unfortunately, he did not live to follow his vision through."
[Source: Extract from commentary published at theblacklistpub.ning.com - South Sudan Cross-Road: UNITY OR SEPARATION? - by an authentic SPLM/government bureaucrat, 17 February 2009, SSN]
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THE POST REFERENDUM ARRANGEMENT TALK IN KHARTOUM



Former South African president Thabo Mbeki addresses the opening session of the Post Referendum Arrangement talk in Khartoum July 10, 2010. Northern and southern Sudanese leaders on Saturday said they would consider forming a confederation or a common market if southerners chose to declare independence in an upcoming referendum. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah Sat Jul 10, 2010; 10:37 AM ET)



Sudan Vice President Ali Osman Taha (R) and Southern Sudan Vice President Reik Mashar (L) smile during the opening session of the Post Referendum Arrangement talk in Khartoum July 10, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah Sat Jul 10, 2010; 10:18 AM ET)

Northern and southern Sudanese cheer together



Southern Sudan Vice President Reik Mashar waves to northern and southern Sudanese cheering together during the opening session of the Post Referendum Arrangement talk in Khartoum July 10, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah Sat Jul 10, 2010; 10:21 AM ET)



Northern and southern Sudanese cheer together during the opening session of the Post Referendum Arrangement talk in Khartoum July 10, 2010. Sudan Vice President Ali Osman Taha and Southern Sudan Vice President Reik Mashar are seen at the table in in the centre of the picture. (Reuters/Mohamed Nureldin Abdallah Sat Jul 10, 2010; 10:30 AM ET)
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News from The New York Times:

Headlines Around the Web

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CBSNEWS.COM

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ECHIDNE OF THE SNAKES

SEPTEMBER 1, 2010

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BOSTON GLOBE

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Aid groups accuse Sudan army of looting

More at Blogrunner »

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News from SRS - Sudan Radio Service:

Wednesday, 01-Sep-2010

Saturday, July 10, 2010

News round-up: North, South Sudan Launch Post-Referendum Negotiations - Mbeki's Statement

HISTORIC NEWS. Today (Saturday, 10 July) Northern and southern Sudanese leaders began talks on a strategy to ensure a smooth transition should a referendum next year result in the war-scarred south gaining its independence.

Talks between Sudan's President Omar Al-Bashir's National Congress Party (NCP) and the former southern rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) were focused on planning a peaceful transition for January's referendum.

The SPLM, which controls the semi-autonomous government in south Sudan, is campaigning for secession while Bashir's NCP has pledged to work for unity but promised a fair referendum.

They told reporters at the launch they would consider four options suggested by an African Union panel led by former South African president Thabo Mbeki.

In one option "we considered the possibility of the creation of two independent countries which negotiate a framework of cooperation, which extends to the establishment of shared governance institutions in a confederal arrangement," said Mbeki, who spoke at the launch in Khartoum.

Another option was for two separate countries with shared "soft borders that permit freedom of movement for both people and goods," said Mbeki.

The other two options, he added, were for total separation - - with citizens needing visas to cross the border -- and for continued north-south unity, if southerners chose that option in the referendum.

"These (the four options) will be part of the issues to be discussed by both parties," Sayed el-Khatib, a senior member of north Sudan's National Congress Party, (NCP) told reporters.

The parties said they would spend the next months working out how they would share out oil and other assets, as well as the burden of Sudan's national debt, after the vote.

Discussions are due to continue July 19.

Note that the negotiations between the NCP and the SPLM reviewed several strategic issues, including the security arrangements, the most complicated of all.

Sudan now has three armies -- the Sudanese Armed Forces of the north, the Sudan People Liberation Army of south Sudan and the Joint Integrated Units which are composed of elements from north and south Sudan armies.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), inked between north and south Sudan in 2005, stipulates that the joint integrated units should constitute a nucleus of post referendum army of Sudan and accept the result of the referendum, otherwise they would be dissolved.

Other issues touched upon during the session included the file of oil revenues sharing, in which the two sides should agree on the distribution of the oil revenues, presently and in the future, the Nile water issue, and issues concerning assets of the state and the currency and the banking system.

Note that the contested oil-rich region of Abyei will hold a separate referendum to decide whether it wants to join the north or the south of Sudan. The Abyei referendum is expected to be conducted simultaneously with south Sudan referendum, slated for January 2011.

Sudan produces 500,000 barrels of oil per day and has reserves estimated at six billion barrels, most of it on the border between north and south.

SOURCE: Reports from Reuters, AFP, Xinhua News Agency, reprinted below.

Ali Osman Taha and Thabo Mbeki

Photo: Sudan's Second Vice President Ali Osman Taha (L) and former South African president Thabo Mbeki (Source: AFP report, 10 July 2010: Sudan ruling parties seek post-referendum 'roadmap')

Pagan Amum

Photo: The secretary general of the former rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), Pagan Amum. (Source: AFP report, 10 July 2010: Sudan ruling parties seek post-referendum 'roadmap')

Nafie Ali Nafie greets Pagan Amum

Photo: Nafie Ali Nafie (R) greets Pagan Amum. (Source: AFP report, 10 July 2010: Sudan ruling parties seek post-referendum 'roadmap')

Rally in Juba, southern Sudan

Photo: Supporters of south Sudan independence rally in Juba. (Source: AFP report, 10 July 2010: Sudan ruling parties seek post-referendum 'roadmap')

Sudan to mull north-south confederation after vote
From Reuters by Andrew Heavens (Editing by Matthew Jones) - Saturday, 10 July 2010; 1:08pm GMT:
(KHARTOUM) - Northern and southern Sudanese leaders on Saturday said they would consider forming a confederation or a common market if southerners chose to declare independence in an upcoming referendum.

Citizens of the country's oil-producing south are six months away from a vote on whether to stay part of Sudan or split away as an independent state -- a plebiscite promised in a 2005 accord that ended decades of north-south civil war.

Leaders from the country's dominant northern and southern parties on Saturday started formal negotiations on how they would divide oil revenues and other issues after the referendum.

They told reporters at the launch they would consider four options suggested by an African Union panel led by former South African president Thabo Mbeki.

In one option "we considered the possibility of the creation of two independent countries which negotiate a framework of cooperation, which extends to the establishment of shared governance institutions in a confederal arrangement," said Mbeki, who spoke at the launch in Khartoum.

Another option was for two separate countries with shared "soft borders that permit freedom of movement for both people and goods," said Mbeki.

The other two options, he added, were for total separation - - with citizens needing visas to cross the border -- and for continued north-south unity, if southerners chose that option in the referendum.

"These (the four options) will be part of the issues to be discussed by both parties," Sayed el-Khatib, a senior member of north Sudan's National Congress Party, (NCP) told reporters.

Pagan Amum, the secretary general of the south's dominant Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), said the referendum would allow the south to "reset" its troubled relationship with the north, whether southerners chose unity or separation.

"If the choice is separation, then we will be ensuring that there will be good cooperation between the two independent states. It could take the form of a confederation. It could take the form of a common market," he said.

The parties said they would spend the next months working out how they would share out oil and other assets, as well as the burden of Sudan's national debt, after the vote.

Also on the agenda was the citizenship of their populations -- campaign group Refugees International last month warned southerners in the north and northerners in the south might be left stateless and vulnerable to attacks after a split.

Many commentators say southerners, embittered by decades of civil war, are likely to vote for separation in the referendum, due in January 2011. Sudan's president Omar Hassan al-Bashir, the head of the NCP, has promised to campaign for unity.

Most of Sudan's proven oil reserves are south of the border. Khartoum currently gets half the revenues from southern oil, under the terms of the 2005 deal. The south would have to reach some sort of accommodation with Khartoum, even after a split, as the only pipelines run through the north to the Red Sea.
Sudan ruling parties seek post-referendum 'roadmap'
From AFP by Guillaume Lavallee – Saturday, 10 July 2010:
(KHARTOUM) - North and south Sudan leaders began talks on Saturday on a strategy to ensure a smooth transition should a referendum next year result in the war-scarred south gaining its independence.

Talks between President Omar el-Beshir's National Congress Party (NCP) and the former southern rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) were focused on planning a peaceful transition for January's referendum.

"Today we are together to launch negotiations of post-referendum arrangements to clearly establish a vision that after the referendum life shall continue," said SPLM negotiator Pagan Amum.

"These negotiations are an opportunity for us to strengthen our relations because in the past they have been bitter," he said at a formal ceremony to launch the talks. Discussions are due to continue July 19.

The SPLM, which controls the semi-autonomous government in south Sudan, is campaigning for secession while Beshir's NCP has pledged to work for unity but promised a fair referendum.

Amum said both sides wanted to ensure a "smooth transition" for the referendum which was part of a 2005 peace deal that ended a two-decade civil war between the Muslim north and Christian and animist south.

Failing to conduct the vote according to the terms of the 2005 treaty would "run the risk of slipping our country back in conflict, a scenario none of us want to see our country returning to," he warned.

The NCP said it wanted to ensure the crucial vote would not be followed by conflict in a country and region prone to war.

"We are hoping that the negotiation will lead to sustainable peace not in Sudan only but over all the region," NCP negotiator Idriss Mohammed Abdel Qadir said at the ceremony.

The NCP and SPLM have set up a joint committee to discuss outstanding issues and plan a trouble-free transition after the vote.

Over the next few months they are expected to negotiate four key issues: sharing oil resources, citizenship, security and respect of international agreements, with the next meeting due July 19.

"We are confident that we can reach a framework agreement on post-referendum arrangement," Amum said.

"If the choice is separation then we will be ensuring that there will be good cooperation between the two independent states, it could take the form of a confederation or a common market," he told reporters.

Former South African president Thabo Mbeki, who chairs an African Union committee on Sudan, said one of the possibilities under consideration was a "confederal arrangement."

"We considered the possibility of the creation of two independent countries which negotiate a framework of cooperation, which extends to the establishment of shared governance institutions in a confederal arrangement" he said at the ceremony.

"The responsibility to determine what will then happen to the entirety of the Sudanese people, whether as one nation or two, falls upon the leaders of the NCP and SPLM," he said.

Of the four issues facing talks, the question of sharing oil revenues is the most sensitive and has been a major source of tension in the run-up to the referendum.

Sudan produces 500,000 barrels of oil per day and has reserves estimated at six billion barrels, most of it on the border between north and south.

Oil accounts for 98 percent of revenues of the government of the semi-autonomous south and about 60 percent of revenues for the north.

The contested oil-rich region of Abyei will hold a separate referendum to decide whether it wants to join the north or the south of Sudan.

Southern politicians have accused Khartoum of increasing its military presence on its side of the border, which the north denies.

"There is a clear and present need for the negotiators to address what will happen to the oil, whatever the result of the referendum," said Rosie Sharpe of Global Witness.
Roundup: Sudan gov't partners begin negotiations on post referendum arrangements
From Xinhua News Agency (via newsystocks.com) - Saturday, 10 July 2010:
(KHARTOUM) - Sudan government's two major partners, the National Congress Party (NPC) and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), on Saturday started a new round of negotiations on post referendum arrangements.

SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum who spoke at the opening session of the negotiations Saturday promised that the SPLM would negotiate with the NCP on the base of keenness and goodwill to ensure reaching an agreement on the issues concerning the post referendum phase after the key referendum early next year on southern independence.

"Today, the SPLM stands here to offer a promise to the people of Sudan, whether they are southerners or northerners, from western Sudan or eastern Sudan, that we shall negotiate in good faith with the national congress party and try to reach an agreement on all the post referendum issues," he said.

He further warned against escalation of differences between the NCP and the SPLM on the Abyei referendum, which is expected to be conducted simultaneously with south Sudan referendum, slated for January 2011.

"Even though the recent unfolding events have shown that the Abyei referendum is at risk, we in the SPLM want to categorically reiterate that the Abyei referendum is intertwined with the referendum for the people of southern Sudan," he said.

"Failure to conduct it concurrently with the referendum for the people of southern Sudan, as stipulated in the CPA, renders risk of slipping our country back to the conflict, a scenario none of us want to see," he added.

Iddris Mohamed Abdel-Ghader, a leading NCP member, on his part, expressed the NCP's desire and continuing endeavor to make unity attractive with the stress on the southerners' right to freely choose between unity and separation.

"Sudan's unity is still our priority and at the same time we stress on the southerners' right to decide their destiny according to the international principles and standards," he said.

Chairman of African Union (AU) Wisemen Panel Thabo Mbeki, who presented himself in the conference, disclosed four suggestions by the AU on the future of the relation between north and south Sudan after the referendum.

"In our option one, we visualize the situation which will divide the country into two independent countries with no durable links," he said.

"In our option two, we visualize the situation in which there would be two independent states existing within a broader negotiated framework of cooperation, making for soft borders that permit movement for both people and goods," he added.

As for the third option, he said, "we consider the possibility of the creation of two independent states who can negotiate to the extent of the establishment of shared government institutions in a confederal arrangement."

"And finally, we visualize the possibility of Sudan remaining one country with the federal arrangements between the north and the south," he said.

The negotiations between the NCP and the SPLM reviewed several strategic issues, including the security arrangements, the most complicated of all.

Sudan now has three armies -- the Sudanese Armed Forces of the north, the Sudan People Liberation Army of south Sudan and the Joint Integrated Units which are composed of elements from north and south Sudan armies.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), inked between north and south Sudan in 2005, stipulates that the joint integrated units should constitute a nucleus of post referendum army of Sudan and accept the result of the referendum, otherwise they would be dissolved.

Other issues touched upon during the session included the file of oil revenues sharing, in which the two sides should agree on the distribution of the oil revenues, presently and in the future, the Nile water issue, and issues concerning assets of the state and the currency and the banking system.
RELATED REPORTS

Sudan faces split into two one-party states
From Reuters (via Zimbabwe Independent)
Friday, 09 July 2010. Excerpt:
AN internationally brokered peace deal that was supposed to transform Sudan into a unified democracy could be about to split Africa’s largest country into two one-party states. [...] “Sudan is now better classified as a two-party state where democracy takes a back seat to the authoritarian regimes that control their respective regions. Opposition parties throughout the entire country now hold less than 5% of the seats in the National Assembly,” academic Marc Gustafson wrote in an analysis of the results on the blog Making Sense of Sudan. If all goes as expected in the referendum, that two-party state would become two one-party states.
South Sudan Referendum Taskforce begins to strategize on its responsibilities
From Sudan Tribune by James Gatdet Dak (JUBA)
Thursday, 08 July 2010. Excerpt:
THE high level politically empowered Southern Sudan Referendum Taskforce (SSRT) under the chairmanship of the Vice President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny, met on Wednesday to strategize on its role and work on the budget.

The Referendum Taskforce, which is based in Southern Sudan, is different from the recently formed technical Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) which is headquartered in Khartoum with branches in Juba and states.

The role of the Taskforce is to give political guidance and mobilize the population to register and vote, among others, including maintenance of security in the region to achieve conduct of a free and fair referendum. This is in carrying out the government’s obligation as the custodian authority under which territory or jurisdiction the plebiscite will take place.

South Sudanese rally for independence

AFP - ‎09 July 2010‎
JUBA, Sudan - Hundreds of supporters of south Sudan independence
rallied in Juba on Friday, six months ahead of a crucial referendum
that could lead to the ...

6 months until South Sudan votes to secede

The Associated Press - ‎09 July 2010‎
JUBA, Sudan — Hundreds of people wearing bright orange shirts
gathered in the capital of Southern Sudan on Friday
to mark the six-month countdown until the ...

Abyei killings 'intended to upset Sudan referendum'

AngolaPress - ‎09 July 2010‎
JUBA, - Some 50000 fled their homes in Abyei two years ago
Recent killings in Sudan's Abyei region are intended to
affect next year's referendum on ...

Police kill man carrying 300 bomb detonators



The Standard - Cyrus Ombati - 10 July 2010
Another officer said they suspect the detonators were to either be
used locally or in Southern Sudan where their demand is high. ...
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STATEMENT OF THE CHAIRPERSON OF THE AUHIP, THABO MBEKI, AT THE LAUNCH OF THE SUDAN POST-REFERENDUM NEGOTIATIONS: KHARTOUM, JULY 10, 2010.


Click here to visit Alex de Waal's blog, Making Sense of Sudan, and read Thabo Mbeki’s Statement at the Launch of the Post-Referendum Negotiations.
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Quote of the Day

Here is a copy of a comment posted at above mentioned blog post re “Pres. Mbeki’s Statement at the Launch of the Post-Referendum Negotiations”:
Comment by Ibrahim Adam:
July 10th, 2010 at 10:27 am

Right man.

Right time.

Right place.

No bombast.

No axe to grind.

No threats or finger-wagging.

How refreshing.

I love Thabo.

We Sudanese are very, very lucky to have the huge well of wisdom, humility, sincerity, sobriety, and smartness that is the Honorable Thabo Mbeki.

Give thanks.

Ibrahim Adam
El Fasher
North Darfur
Sudan
Amen.