South Sudan votes for first time in a generation

South Sudan votes for first time in a generation
From Associated Press by Jason Straziuso, Friday, 9 April 2010:

JUBA, Sudan — The election posters and slogan-filled T-shirts blanketing this town underscore a new excitement in Southern Sudan, which will cast ballots in a national election for the first time in more than two decades, when a three-day election begins Sunday.

Despite the first-in-a-generation vote, though, most people are already looking past the weekend ballot to a vote in January considered far more significant: a referendum on independence that could signal the birth of a new African nation, if final negotiations with Khartoum over oil rights and the location of the border are worked out peacefully.

"Southerners are going to vote for independence. We cannot say if they (Khartoum) will accept it," said Peter Yien, a 28-year-old who lives in Akobo, a southeastern town on the border with Ethiopia that is suffering a severe food shortage because of tribal conflict and a lack of rain.

The roots of a young democracy have taken place this election cycle, at least in the south's capital of Juba, which has seen candidate rallies, voter education drives and political speeches for the first time in years. Daniel Deng, the founder of the Deng Foundation, a voter education group, held a rally this week in Juba to raise voter awareness.

"I will be voting for the first time, and I don't think my mom or dad has ever voted in their lives. We have lived in this country like aliens, forgotten. Now we have a chance to be part of something," Deng said, before quickly adding that the independence vote next year was more important: "Let's get it out of the way and then move forward to the referendum."

Salva Kiir Mayardit, the south's president and Sudan's first vice president, held a final rally in Juba under a still-fiery evening sun Thursday to muted cheers from about 1,000 people. Earlier in the day he said the south was running the "final lap of our journey toward the referendum."

"My key message throughout the campaigns has been the maintenance of peace and stability throughout the country," Mayardit told a news conference. "Since the signing of the CPA (Comprehensive Peace Agreement) the lives of our people have changed tremendously from worse to better, and no amount of intimidation can drag us back to war."

The CPA, a U.S.-backed peace treaty, ended the north-south war in 2005, setting in motion both the elections and the referendum. The last time the south voted in national elections was 1986. The balloting is to elect a president, national parliament and provincial parliaments and governors.

The south's dominant party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, or SPLM, is not running a candidate against Sudan President Omar al-Bashir. Some candidates in the SPLM's northern wing are boycotting the election, but candidates in the south are proceeding. Most here agree that the south is only trying to successfully get through the election and move on to the referendum.

"The language I tend to use in this regard is that elections are the end game in the north and the referendum is the end game in the south," said Zach Vertin, an analyst with the International Crisis Group.

"That's not to say there isn't any interest in the election. It's also important within the south. You can see the beginning of democracy here. Southerners and a lot of the parties deserve credit for engaging in the democratic process."

The oil-rich south is a mainly Christian and animist region. The predominantly Muslim north has ruled for decades, and 50 years of civil war between north and south killed 2 million people. The separate conflict in Darfur erupted in 2003, when ethnic African tribes rose up complaining of discrimination by the Arab-led government in Khartoum.

A U.N. report on the outlook for 2010 said that a worst-case scenario for the country would see north-south clashes ignite along the border, triggering inter-tribal conflict. The U.N. report also predicts severe food shortages this year that could affect the referendum. More than 4 million people in Southern Sudan will need food aid this year.

The newly born democratic process in Juba has included candidate forums, which attracted a couple hundred people earlier this week. The president has been flying around Southern Sudan advertising his platform, which includes giving more rights and educational opportunities to women. Candidate posters are plastered over telephone poles and store fronts.

But the election in the whole of Sudan is beset with problems. Susan Rice, the U.S. ambassador to the U.N., said this week that signs on the ground were "very disturbing," and said that much was awry with the electoral process. Her comments came after former Sudanese Prime Minister Sadiq al-Mahdi's Umma party announced it will boycott the election. Several of Sudan's biggest opposition parties have withdrawn from the race.

A report from the International Crisis Group last month said Sudan's election would suffer from electoral fraud, including ballot stuffing and voter registration gerrymandering. The report also predicted return to conflict between the north and the south if the vote on independence is not held next year.

Friends standing alongside Yien in the eastern town of Akobo agreed that was possible.

"War? No, not war. We will talk," said Peter Toi, 28.

"We will see," Nyak Pan Deng, 33, quickly interjected. "No one can say war or no war now."

Photo: South Sudan's President Salva Kiir walks out of a car before a rally in Bentiu, Unity state, south Sudan April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)



Photo: South Sudan's President Salva Kiir walks during a rally in Bentiu, Unity state, south Sudan April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)



Photo: South Sudan's President Salva Kiir (centre L) and South Sudan Vice President Riek Machar stand during a rally in Bentiu, Unity state, south Sudan April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)



Photo: Supporters of South Sudan's President Salva Kiir dance during a rally in Bentiu, Unity state, south Sudan April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Goran Tomasevic)

NEC Sudan says elections will be held in 1500 centers in Darfur region

Photo: Sudanese refugees walk in Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the north Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Dr Al Asaam says elections will be held in 1500 centers in Darfur region

Khartoum, April 8 (SUNA) - The National Election Commission on Thursday met at its headquarters, under the chairmanship of its President Abel Alier, with a delegation from the European Elections Observers Mission in Sudan.

Professor Mukhtar Al Asaam member of the Commission has pointed out that the meeting was held on the request of the European observers' delegation to explain the reasons that spurred them to issue a statement in which they have said they would be pulling out of Darfur. He said the European delegation has stressed it would be issuing a statement in which it would explain the real reasons behind the pull out of Darfur which are related transportation and stay in Darfur and that non of the reasons cited was among t hose circulated by the media on lack of stability there.

Dr Al Asaam has said the delegation of the commission headed by the NEC chairman Abel Alier that visited Darfur in the past couple of days has reaffirmed that the security situation in Darfur was better than t he situate ion a few months ago and that stability for holding the election was prevailing. He referred to the preparation of some 1500 centers that are fully secured for the election process.

On her part the head of the European delegation has praised the difficult work undertaken by the commission and that her visit to the commission shows the good relations between the delegation and the NEC.

Photo: A Sudanese street tailor sews a dress in the town of Al Fasher, northern Darfur, April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)



Photo: A Sudanese refugee girl stands by vendor sitting under electoral posters, at a market in Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the North Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: Boys shine shoes in the town of Al Fasher, northern Darfur, April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)



Sudanese refugee vendors sit by their goods as they wait for customers in the market of Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the North Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A Sudanese refugee woman shops for food supplies at a market in Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the north Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A Sudanese refugee family load food supplies on a cart in the market of Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the North Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

The Arab European Independent Mission deploy observers to monitor elections in Sudan

The Arab European Independent Mission Deploy Observers to Monitor Elections in Sudan
From Sudanese Online, Friday, 09 April 2010:

Khartoum, April 8 (SUNA) - The Arab European Independent Mission for monitoring of Sudanese elections has stated that it would deploy 18 observers to follow the election and monitor the process in 17 states and that it would follow up all the process to the end.

The chief of the Mission Dr Violet Daguerre has pointed out in a press conference that the mission involved a group of non governmental organizations from France, Jordan, Norway, Iraq, Bahrain with vast experience in the domain of monitoring elections and that these organizations have agreed to take part in the monitoring of the elections in the Sudan.

She said the mission would follow up the process and see how the laws and regulations and the local and international principles are applied.

Dr Violet has expressed hope that the elections would be conducted in a peaceful and calm climate that would allow the observers to carry out their role.

She said what she saw in the Sudan was different from what is being reported about the country.

AU is independent in Sudan election - Kufuor

AU is independent in Sudan election - Kufuor
From Myjoyonline by Frank Agyekum, Khartoum, Wednesday, 7 April 2010:

Former President John Agyekum Kufuor said, Monday, that the Africa Union did not favour any of the contesting political parties in the impending general elections in Sudan.

The union’s interest was the smooth conduct of the elections to help return Africa’s largest country to peace and stability, former President Kufuor told a Press Conference at the Grand Holiday Villas in Khartoum, Sudan.

Mr Kufuor, who arrived in Khartoum on Sunday as the head of a 50-member AU Observer Mission, was briefing the media after the first stakeholders meeting of the mission.

“I should state from the onset that we are here as impartial and neutral election observers who do not owe any allegiance to any of the contending parties.

“Our job is to observe the conduct of the elections in accordance with the AU’s Declaration Principles Governing Elections in Africa.

“At the end of the elections, we are expected to determine if it was conducted in accordance with the constitution and laws of Sudan.

“We will also determine the credibility of the whole electoral process in terms of the provision of a level playing field to all parties in their access to the media, movement and freedom of choice,” he said.

The mission includes National Electoral Commissions, Members of the Pan-African Parliament, members of the Economic, Social and Cultural Council of the AU and Civil Society Organizations.

The European Union, the Arab League and the Carter Centre, are among international bodies that have sent observer missions.

Sudan goes to the polls from April 11 to April 13 for the first time in more than 25 years to elect a President and a 450-member National Assembly.

Sudan Elections 2010



Photo: Sudanese youth stands next to an electoral poster that reads in Arabic 'I am Sudan Party, Unity, Reform, development and peace' at the main market of the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A Sudanese woman and a policeman walk by electoral posters at the main market of the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A Sudanese man carries his son under a billboard supporting a Parliament election candidate Mohammed Al Mahdi in Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)



Photo: Sudanese women walk past a campaign poster for President Omar al-Beshir in central Khartoum on April 7. (AFP/File/Ashraf Shazly)



Photo: A Sudanese youth riding a donkey passes by electoral posters for the ruling National Congress Party, NCP that reads 'Leading party for a leading country, choose the the strong and loyal' at the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A Sudanese army vehicle patrols the main market by an electoral poster for the ruling National Congress Party, NCP with a picture President and presidential candidate Omar al-Bashir and reads 'Leading party for a leading country, choose the the strong and loyal' at the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A Sudanese army vehicle patrols the main market by electoral posters for the ruling National Congress Party, NCP that reads 'Our strength is in our unity' at the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. The elections start April 13, and will include local as well as parliamentary and presidential polls in a three-day balloting. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Photo: A painted image of Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir is seen on the clothing of a supporter during an election campaign in Bashir's home town of Shandi, 317 km (197 miles) outside Khartoum April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)



Photo: A supporter of Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir performs a traditional Sudanese dance during an election campaign event in Bashir's hometown of Shandi, 317 km (197 miles) outside Khartoum April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)

Don't rubbish Sudan elections - Former U.S. President Carter will be among the official observers

Don't rubbish Sudan elections
From Cif Guardian.co.uk
By Simon Tisdall, Friday 9 April 2010:

The elections won't be perfect, but the chorus of condemnation from those pursuing a Darfur-focused agenda misses the point



A Sudanese man kisses a picture of President Omar al-Bashir at a protest against the arrest warrant issued against him last year. Photograph: Ashraf Shazly/AFP/Getty

Not a single vote has yet been cast in Sudan's elections but already international pressure groups and domestic opponents of the current government are queuing up to rubbish the process. This chorus of condemnation seems a little premature. It also misses the point. While it's likely the polls will be flawed in important respects, in a fundamental sense, that does not matter. For the major players inside and outside Sudan, the elections, beginning on Sunday, are merely a staging post on a much longer journey.

Luis Moreno-Ocampo, the chief prosecutor of the international criminal court, is among the most outspoken critics. He said sending EU and African Union observers to monitor the vote was a waste of time. "It's like monitoring a Hitler election," he said. Moreno-Ocampo urged western countries to concentrate instead on arresting Sudan's president, Omar al-Bashir, charged by the ICC with war crimes and crimes against humanity in Darfur.

Moreno-Ocampo has a particular axe to grind. Like the Waging Peace and the Save Darfur Coalition pressure groups, broader issues of democratic governance and implementation of the 2005 comprehensive peace agreement (CPA) that ended Sudan's ruinous north-south civil war take second place, in his view, to the importance of avenging Darfur and arraigning Bashir in The Hague.

"It is clear to all observers that these much heralded 'multi-party elections' have never been more than an attempt by [Bashir] to legitimise his position in the eyes of the international community," said Sophie McCann of Waging Peace. The process was "unsalvageable". For its part, Save Darfur seized on the partial poll boycott by some opposition parties to urge the US, Britain and others to disown the whole business and condemn Bashir's "dictatorial rule".

Mixed motives also lie behind the decision of the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), the main southern political party, to boycott polling in Darfur and the north. The SPLM and other opposition groups have voiced concerns about the accuracy of the 2008 census on which voting is based, the ruling National Congress party's (NCP) monopoly of state resources, and alleged bias of the national elections commission.

These worries are shared by independent organisations such as the Carter Centre (former US president Jimmy Carter is due in Sudan with 60 observers) and the International Crisis Group, which says many displaced Darfuris will be denied a vote. Human Rights Watch accuses both the government and the SPLM of intimidating political rivals, although the picture is mixed. Overall, media controls have been relaxed and some opposition leaders have been give airtime.

Yet Sudan experts say it's clear that the SPLM's main concern is not the elections at all, but rather avoiding any delay to January's CPA-directed referendum on southern independence (which is widely expected to result in Sudan's partition). Thus its decision not to contest the presidential or parliamentary votes in northern areas suits Bashir's NCP very well, despite protestations to the contrary. The unspoken deal is plain enough: Bashir the bogeyman gets re-elected and relegitimised, while the south (comprising 25% of the population) and its US-backed president, Salva Kiir, gets independence (and 50% of Sudan's oil wealth).

Political opportunism and pragmatism have combined neatly. "The SPLM decided to pull out simply because they know they are not going to win the presidency," said NCP official Omar Rahma in an al-Jazeera interview. Nor does the SPLM seem troubled by the fact that its unilateral decision to mount a partial boycott threw other opposition parties, with which it was supposedly co-ordinating, into confusion. That the SPLM boycott worries western pressure groups is a measure of their naivety.

The Obama administration and Britain cannot be accused of such credulousness. What they most want from these elections is already clear – and it is not a democratic showcase or Bashir's arrest. They want north-south deals on border demarcation and oil-revenue sharing, settlements in trouble spots such as Abyei and South Kordofan, and a successful independence referendum as envisaged by the CPA. The US, in particular, sees a future southern Sudanese republic as an important ally.

The western powers see in this outcome the prospect of a final, lasting peace in Darfur, wider regional stability encompassing Chad, and ultimately, Khartoum's rehabilitation. A recent joint statement by the foreign secretary David Miliband and the US secretary of state Hillary Clinton set priorities: "Irrespective of the outcome of elections, it is essential that work continues and is accelerated to meet remaining CPA deadlines."

Predictions that Sudan's elections will produce an Afghanistan-style fiasco of rigging and recrimination misunderstand the position. All the main actors want a success, and that is what they will most probably deem the polls to be, with the usual caveats and reservations, almost whatever the outcome. This conformity of purpose elicited a remarkable boast from Bashir, speaking in Sinar on the Blue Nile last week: "Even America is becoming an NCP member. No one is against our will."

Simon Tisdall (pictured above) is an assistant editor of the Guardian and a foreign affairs columnist. He was previously a foreign leader writer for the paper and has also served as its foreign editor and its US editor, based in Washington DC. He was the Observer's foreign editor from 1996-98

Further reading



Former US President Jimmy Carter speaks to reporters as he arrives at Khartoum International Airport, ahead of the country's national elections on April 11. "We are hoping and praying that it will be a fair and honest election for those are participating," Carter said. (AFP/Ashraf Shazly Thu Apr 8, 2010)



Former US President Jimmy Carter, left, leaves after speaking to the media following his arrival in the capital Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday, April 8, 2010. The Carter Center said Thursday that former President Jimmy Carter will be among the official observers when Sudan conducts national elections next week. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf)



A Sudanese man reads a newspaper under posters of presidential candidates in Khartoum, Sudan, Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Amr Nabil)



A campaign poster for Sudan People's Liberation Movement's southern presidential candidate Salva Kiir hangs from a tree in a remote village in Dongoi in Western Equatorial State, April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly)



Sudanese election officials receive training during a mock voting session ahead of Sunday's general election, in the village of Mvolo in Western Equatorial State, April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Finbarr O'Reilly)



Workers from the National Elections Commission (NEC) prepare polling boxes at the central NEC ballot distribution center in Khartoum April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldin)



Workers from the National Elections Commission (NEC) carry polling boxes at the central NEC ballot distribution center in Khartoum April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldi)



A Sudanese worker from the National Elections Commission (NEC) checks ballot boxes at the central NEC ballot distribution center of Khartoum April 8, 2010 (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)



Sonia, a French adviser for the Sudanese National Elections Commission (NEC), checks ballot boxes at the central NEC ballot distribution center of Khartoum April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Ahmed Jadallah)



A Sudanese worker loads election material including ballot papers and voting booths into a waiting helicopter of the United Nations African Union Mission in Darfur, UNAMID to be transported to the voting center of the north Darfur town of Mellit, in the airport of el Fasher, Darfur, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. Preparations continue for the upcoming multiparty general elections in Sudan starting on April 13. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



A Sudanese refugee boy walks past a UNAMID (African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur) vehicle near a polling station at Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the north Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



A UNAMID (African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur) peacekeeper stands guard near a polling station, in background, at Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the North Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Sudanese refugee boys stand by a UNAMID (African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur) peacekeeper guarding a nearby polling station at Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the North Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



UNAMID (African Union/UN Hybrid operation in Darfur) peacekeepers patrol the area surrounding a polling station at Abou Shouk refugee camp, on the outskirts of the north Darfur capital of el Fasher, Sudan, Wednesday, April 7, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



Sudanese police patrol in the town of Al Fasher, northern Darfur April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)



European Union chief elections observer Veronique De Keyser speaks to journalists at Abu Shouk camp outside El Fasher, capital of North Darfur, April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)



European Union election observers leave El Fasher airport in North Darfur, led by EU chief observer Veronique De Keyser (centre), April 7, 2010. The European Union on Wednesday withdrew its election observers from Sudan's Darfur region, saying safety fears were hindering their work. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)



A European Union election observer boards a plane at El Fasher airport in North Darfur April 7, 2010. (Reuters/Andrew Heavens)



A Sudanese woman crosses the street infront of a vehicle with electoral posters on the hood at the main market of the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)



A disabled woman on a tricycle rides past campaign posters for the upcoming April 11 presidential and legislative elections in the town of Al Fasher, northern Darfur April 8, 2010. (Reuters/Zohra Bensemra)



A Sudanese woman uses her mobile while passing by electoral posters at the main market of the Darfur town of el Fasher, Sudan Thursday, April 8, 2010. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser)

Confused Signals From SPLM Over Northern Boycott - Or Is It Withdrawal?
SRS - Friday, 9 April 2010 (Juba) – SPLM chairman Salva Kiir Mayardit says his party has withdrawn its candidate for the presidency, Yasir Arman, but has not called for a general boycott of the elections in the north, as announced on Wednesday by the SPLM secretary-general, Pagan Amum.

SSHEC Satisfied With Progress of Elections Run-Up
SRS - Friday, 9 April 2010 (Merowe) – President Omar al-Bashir has reiterated that there will be free and fair elections throughout the country. Addressing the public during the official opening of a hydro-electric plant at Merowe Dam on Thursday, President al-Bashir said elections which will begin on Sunday will be free of any irregularities. President al-Bashir was speaking at Merowe Dam, at the end of his presidential campaign.

Al-Bashir Says Elections Shall Be Fair Because It Is God's Will
SRS - Friday, 9 April 2010 (Juba) – The South Sudan High Elections Committee has described the campaign period for the April elections as ‘peaceful and without irregularities’. Jersa Kide Barsaba told SRS that the Committee has only received one official complaint which it could not verify.



Former U.S. President Jimmy Carter speaks to the press after meeting officials of the national election commission at their headquarters in Khartoum April 9, 2010. Sudan's first multi-party elections in 24 years are on track to start on Sunday, with Khartoum dismissing a U.S. suggestion that it would consider supporting a brief delay to ensure greater stability. (Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldin Fri Apr 9, 1:11 PM ET)



International observers from the U.S.-based Carter Center prepare to leave for Sudan's Northern states to monitor voting, in Khartoum April 9, 2010. Reuters/Mohamed Nurdldin Fri Apr 9, 1:38 PM ET)

Peace talks to continue in Darfur after weekend elections, AU-UN official stresses

Peace talks to continue in Darfur after weekend elections, AU-UN official stresses
From UN News Centre, Thursday, 8 April 2010:

The joint African Union-United Nations chief mediator for Darfur confirmed today that negotiations aimed at generating a comprehensive peace deal to end the ongoing conflict in the western Sudanese region will continue after Sudanese vote in national elections starting this Sunday.

“The Mediation earnestly calls on the parties to fully comply with the declared ceasefire with a view to promoting confidence among the parties, improving the security and humanitarian conditions in Darfur, creating an environment conducive to negotiations and alleviating the sufferings of the population in Darfur,” Djibril Bassolé said in a statement released jointly with Ahmed Bin Abdullah Al-Mahmoud, Minister of State for Foreign Affairs in Qatar.

In the statement, Mr. Bassolé and Mr. Al-Mahmoud welcomed the Framework Agreement signed between the Sudanese Government and the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in late February in Doha, Qatar. They also welcomed the Framework Agreement and Ceasefire Agreement between the Government and another rebel group, the Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM), signed last month.

The signing of the agreements represents a “quantum leap” and a “crucial phase of the ongoing Doha peace process,” the statement noted.

Last month, Ibrahim Gambari, the Joint Special Representative of the African Union-United Nations Mission in Darfur (UNAMID), described the agreement with the LJM as “another important milestone” on the path towards a comprehensive peace pact in Darfur and said it would have an important impact on the security of people on the ground.

Darfur, a region roughly the size of Spain, has been torn by war since 2003, resulting in the deaths of an estimated 300,000 people and the displacement of 2.7 million others. In addition to the conflict in Darfur, Sudan face tensions between its northern and southern regions.

The upcoming elections, the first of their kind in 24 years in Sudan, are seen as a benchmark in the implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which was signed in 2005 to end the long-running north-south civil war. Voting is due to start on Sunday.

The UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS), which works independently of UNAMID, has been providing technical and logistical support to the Government and the National Elections Commission (NEC) to enable timely conduct of the elections.

SUDAN: A flawed election would be better than none, for it would mean progress towards a peaceful north-south split

Chaos and confusion reign in Sudan’s first multiparty elections for 24 years. But the vote could yet benefit a huge country that is likely soon to split into two.

A flawed election would be better than none, for it would mean progress towards a peaceful north-south split.

The Umma National Party has joined the SPLM, the Communist Party and the Umma Party in boycotting elections at all levels in northern Sudan.

Full story below.

Hunt the missing voter
From The Economist print edition
Thursday 08 April 2010 KHARTOUM

Chaos and confusion reign in Sudan’s first multiparty elections for 24 years. But the vote could yet benefit a huge country that is likely soon to split into two



IN SOME respects electioneering in Sudan would be instantly recognisable to the thousands of would-be MPs who set off on the campaign trail this week in Britain. Sudanese candidates, preparing for the presidential and general election that is due to start on April 11th and continue until the 13th, get on “battle-buses” to meet their constituents, are tended by party hacks and helped along by the odd spin-doctor. They address the party faithful at set-piece rallies, even if there is more ululating than on the average British hustings. And the crowds that listen to them are bored or ecstatic, depending largely on how long the candidates speak for.

But the differences are large. For one thing, no one is sure whether the polls will take place on time—if at all. Take Mariam al-Mahdi’s tour of her constituency this week. A parliamentary candidate, she is a leader of the Umma party, the main northern opposition to President Omar al-Bashir’s ruling National Congress Party (NCP). She had two big quandaries. The first was whether her party would, in the end, be competing, since it had called for the poll to be postponed. Her second was whether she could find the voters.

Though there were supposed to be 47,000 of them registered in the red desert that forms the largest part of her “Area 11” constituency, it was hard to find anyone who knew much about the election, let alone a registered voter. At the tiny hamlet of Wadi al-Faki, a few mud huts about 50km (30 miles) west of Omdurman, the city that is across the Nile from the capital, Khartoum, a local man said that 20 of the 40 adults had registered. But according to the official register, this and a similar neighbouring village were supposed to be bulging with 622 voters. Farther down the road, another scruffy settlement called Wadi al-Saial was said to have only about 50 people, children included. But officially there were 478 registered voters. Where are the phantom voters? “Maybe they were underground,” joked an Umma official.

At the end of the day the Umma team took a long drive through a vast shanty town on the fringes of Omdurman itself, damningly known as the “black belt” to the lighter-skinned Arabs of Khartoum. Here live hundreds of thousands of the poorest Sudanese, displaced from Darfur or the south, regions where the present regime’s wars have killed a huge number and made millions homeless. Yet Ms Mahdi believes that only 5,000 of the shanty town’s voters (among whom are many of Mr Bashir’s most bitter opponents) have been included in her constituency.

The conclusion drawn by the Umma team is that the government-appointed National Election Commission (NEC) has boosted the number of voters in places where the NCP thinks people will vote for it and severely under-registered neighbourhoods where its opponents are strong. Come polling day, some suggest, an anonymous official finger will stamp the box by the tree, the ruling party’s election symbol in a country where about half the population is illiterate. If this sort of rigging works across the country, Mr Bashir should easily win the presidential race.

This precooking of the election eventually persuaded Ms Mahdi’s Umma party, three days before the vote, to say it would boycott the poll at every level. The Communists had already pulled out. The main southern opposition party, the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), withdrew its presidential candidate and most of its parliamentary ones in the north. Yet the boycott seemed certain to give Mr Bashir, wanted for alleged crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Court, a virtual walk-over.

So confusion reigns. The candidates’ names and symbols have already been printed on ballot papers. Many voters will have no idea which party is boycotting what particular level of election. If voters pick boycotting candidates, will the winners take up their seats? Perhaps, to appease the opposition a little, the NEC could declare a short postponement of the election to sort out some of the irregularities. This is unlikely but could yet happen.

What went wrong?
It was all supposed to turn out so differently. The election was sold as the mechanism for “democratic transformation” in Africa’s largest country. It is an integral part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), signed between the Muslim north of the country and the Christian and animist south in 2005. The CPA brought an end to Africa’s longest-running civil war—which had cost 2m lives and forced millions to flee their homes, often to the black belt around Omdurman and Khartoum—and was designed to resolve the country’s problems at a stroke.

A root cause of Sudan’s terrible civil conflicts has been the concentration of wealth and power in the centre at the expense of the regions: the south and also Darfur, where a full-scale rebellion erupted in 2003. It was hoped that the elections, which are being held at local, state and federal level, would make the rulers more responsive to the needs and wishes of the ruled. But this is not a prospect that particularly appeals to the two parties that have ruled Sudan since 2005, the NCP in the north and the SPLM in the semi-autonomous south.

Mr Bashir and his NCP, who seized power from Sudan’s last democratically elected government in a coup in 1989, have for the past ten years been concerned mainly with enjoying the country’s oil wealth. This has come courtesy of the Chinese, who buy most of it. Unsurprisingly, the Sudanese leaders are determined by one means or another to remain in control.

The SPLM, for its part, is focused on an entirely different election: the referendum on southern secession that was promised as part of the CPA. This is due to take place in the south next January. Should most southerners vote for independence, as they are expected to, Africa could have its first new state for almost 20 years—ruled by the SPLM.

Determined to get to the referendum without upset, the SPLM has been accused throughout the election of suppressing any opposition to its rule. Its leader, Salva Kiir, is contesting only the presidency of south Sudan, thus demonstrating that his party is now bent entirely on consolidating its position in its own backyard.

Yet even though the election may be a charade, it could have positive results. If Mr Bashir gets his way at the vote, he may be more inclined to let the south leave Sudan peacefully. This event will profoundly change the map of east Africa. It may even alter the politics of north Sudan in ways that, for now, are hard to imagine.

It is also true that despite the government’s restrictions on opposition campaigning, the Sudanese have been able to speak openly about political matters for the first time in years. The sight of opposition politicians on television, even for just 20 minutes, denouncing Mr Bashir for corruption and misgovernment has been a revelation. Now there is hunger for more discussion and more politics.

This week, at an evening rally in Khartoum for the Islamist Popular Congress Party, a lawyer in a flowing jellabiya repeatedly denounced Mr Bashir as a liar, accusing him of being a hypocrite and a stooge of the CIA. This sort of talk in public was unthinkable only a few months ago. Young men hovered at the back of the open-air site, unsure whether to sit down and join in the new politics or lurk safely in the dark, as they are used to.

At several opposition rallies, the economy has been discussed. So far as Mr Bashir has a political platform, he is running on his economic record. All his campaign posters picture him smiling in front of some new development project: the (Chinese-built) Merowe dam, the latest (part Chinese) oil refinery or a new (Chinese-built) road, all the benefits of Mr Bashir’s rule. But the Umma party argues that the country’s oil bonanza has benefited very few Sudanese, and most of those are in the areas north of Khartoum, where most of the NCP leaders are from. Despite all the oil, the vast majority of Sudanese have no easy access to schools or health care.

The campaign has helped opposition parties to reconnect with their supporters, relearning the art of politics and discussing the state of the country openly for the first time in a generation. Nobody knows exactly where this will lead, but the fact that the government is obviously worried tells its own story. For many, particularly, the young, it is heady stuff.

Darfur may also have benefited from the elections, albeit obliquely. Mr Bashir knows that the western region contains the second-biggest number of voters after the south, so he has had to make some peace moves there in the past few months to shore up his support. A peace deal negotiated with neighbouring Chad is holding, and Mr Bashir has also signed a preliminary ceasefire agreement with two Darfuri rebel groups. These deals have provided some much-needed momentum to the meandering Darfur peace talks that are being held in Qatar. The level of violence has also declined slightly.

None of this may outlast the election. There were reports this week that government forces had already clashed with one of the two Darfuri groups that signed the deal. The main rebel group, the Sudanese Liberation Army, led by Abdul Wahid al-Nur, still refuses to enter into any talks with the government.

And Darfur remains the world’s worst humanitarian disaster. Although fewer people are now being killed, fighting continues and more than 3m people are stuck in refugee camps, either in Darfur itself or in eastern Chad. As a result, about 4m Darfuris still rely on food aid from the UN’s World Food Programme (WFP). Few refugees in the camps bothered to register for a vote, fearing that this would prejudice their right to return to their real homes. Whatever happens at the election, the distressed region still awaits a political settlement that the Darfuris themselves feel they are part of.

Southern fear
Attention will soon switch to the south and its referendum. Few African heads of state want to endorse the break-up of Sudan, for fear that it would encourage similar secessionist movements elsewhere. Nonetheless, some African leaders have now publicly accepted the obvious: they may not like secession but, if it is done amicably, there is nothing to stop it.

However, just as the election has focused attention on the failings of the NCP, so the SPLM will attract scrutiny once the debate turns to the south. There is mounting concern about the misgovernment of the south and fear about its future vulnerability as a state. After five years of SPLM rule, too many health and social indicators are slipping backwards. According to the WFP, for instance, the number of malnourished people in the south has now crept up to 47% of the population. That is an ominous statistic for a freshly minted African country. As ever with Sudan, optimism and pessimism go hand in hand.

Related reports

Al-Mahdi Explains Reasons for Elections Boycott
SRS - Sudan Radio Service, Thursday, 8 April 2010:

(Khartoum) – The Umma party has announced that it is boycotting the general elections at all levels.

The leader of the Umma party and its former Presidential candidate, the former Prime Minister of the Sudan, Imam Al-Sadig Al-Mahdi, addressed a press conference in Omdurman on Thursday and explained the reasons for the boycott.

[Sadig Al-Mahdi]: “Our main concern was the issue of the transportation and control of the ballots and the fact that the number of polling centers was reduced to less than half of the original number. This denied other parties in the states the chance of participation in the elections and the National Elections Commission did nothing about this issue and this led to the general boycott of these flawed elections. When the issue was discussed for the second time, the view of the majority of our political bureau was in favor a complete boycott of the elections. The political bureau yesterday took its decision to boycott of elections at all levels because these elections do not represent the real will of the people of Sudan."

He urged that general elections should be held in Sudan after the self-determination referendum for Southern Sudan and after finding lasting peace to Darfur.

[Sadig Al-Mahdi]: “And from this platform and despite our position regarding the results of these elections, we, together with all political forces, will cooperate to achieve a just and lasting comprehensive peace and solve the Darfur crisis. We will continue our cooperation with the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement to improve the chance of a just unity or brotherly neighborhood. We will continue to cooperate with all the opposition forces inside and outside the new constitutional institutions for the attainment of liberties and seek lasting solutions to the Darfur crisis and work to conduct free and fair general elections after the self-determination referendum for Southern Sudan, after we have found a lasting peace for Darfur.”

Al- Madhi, who was the last democratically elected leader of Sudan in 1986 before being overthrown in 1989 by President Omer Hassan al-Bashir, claimed that opinion polls conducted in northern Sudan suggested that his party would win fifty-one percent of the parliamentary seats in northern Sudan if they participated in the elections.

The Umma National Party has joined the SPLM, the Communist Party and the Umma Party in boycotting elections at all levels in northern Sudan.

Let those people go
The Economist print edition, Thursday, 8 April 2010:
A flawed election would be better than none, for it would mean progress towards a peaceful north-south split

Ballots delivered to Nagero, Western Equatoria
ReliefWeb (UNMIS press release) - Thursday April 8, 2010
Russian crews performed their final maintenance checks as helicopters were dispatched one by one to remote corners of Southern Sudan on 6 April ...

Khartoum insists elections will make Sudanese 'proud'‎
Earthtimes (press release) - Thursday April 8, 2010
By: dpa NewYork - Sudan said Thursday that national elections scheduled for this weekend will take place as planned ...

Sudan President Bashir insists elections will be fair‎
BBC News - Thursday April 8, 2010
Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has insisted that the forthcoming elections will be "free and fair". In a speech on the campaign trail, Mr Bashir said the ...

Carter Arrives in Sudan, Expresses Hope for Successful Election‎
BusinessWeek - Maram Mazen - Thursday April 8, 2010 (Bloomberg)
Former US President Jimmy Carter expressed “regret” that some opposition parties have pulled out of Sudan's first ...

"Disturbing trends" ahead of Sudan polls: US envoy
AFP - Thursday April 8, 2010

Police on Standby to Provide Security During Elections
SRS (Sudan Radio Service) - Thursday April 8, 2010:

(Khartoum) – The Sudanese police has announced that more than 100,000 police officers will be deployed in 14 states in the north during the elections.

The official spokesperson for the elections security committee in Khartoum state, General Mohamed Ahmed Ali, addressed the media on Wednesday and said the police is ready to carry out its duties during the election period.

[General Mohamed Ahmed Ali]: “The force exceeds 100,000, they have been prepared and trained to cooperate with elections process, they are provided with enough equipment, the number is really quite enough, the number and the equipment will help the police to carry out its duty in different parts of Sudan and inside cities in an effective manner. We are taking precautionary measures, and this will continue during elections period, during voting, after the voting and when the results are announced.”

General Mohamed Ahmed Ali said that the federal police carried out several maneuvers with the Southern Sudan Police Force to ensure calm during the elections throughout Sudan.

Former Mediator Expresses Concern at Situation in Sudan
SRS (Sudan Radio Service) - Thursday April 8, 2010 (Nairobi)

The former chief mediator of the CPA, Lazarus Sumbeiyo told SRS in Nairobi on Thursday that current political situation in the whole of Sudan is unstable.

General Sumbeiyo is appealing to parties who are boycotting the elections to resolve their disagreements and to participate in the elections.

SPLM said it would boycott all elections in the north, except the central states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, where it said it was sure to win

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir today claimed - just days ahead of national elections - that Khartoum was delaying demarcating the north-south border to try to retain control over oil reserves.

The SPLM said it would boycott all elections in the north, except the central states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, where it said it was sure to win, despite the widespread fraud they accuse the NCP of committing.

Salva Kiir warns of Khartoum 'oil grab'
From News wires 07 April 2010 11:28 GMT (via upstream online):

Analysts said a failure to resolve the border issue between the former north-south foes could spark renewed conflict if the problem is not sorted before Africa's largest country holds a January 2011 referendum on independence for the south.

Last night Kiir's ex-rebel Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) said it would boycott Sudan's 11 April national elections, accusing Khartoum of widespread fraud.

"Why it is not demarcated is because there is oil and the north wants to take the oil, they want also to take the agricultural land we have so it becomes their land," Reuters quoted Kiir telling voters at a rally in the southern Lakes State.

Sudan's potential 500,000 barrels per day of oil from wells mostly in the south inflamed a 22-year-long civil war between the SPLM and the northern National Congress Party which ended with a 2005 peace deal.

Under the accord, south Sudan receives about 50% of government oil revenues from wells in the south but the opaque distribution of cash has been a source of much contention.

Oil revenues accounts for an estimated 98% of semi-autonomous south Sudan's budget. Many of the oilfields lie on the north-south border.

Analysts said the north-south border demarcation is key to successful talks between the two sides on post-referendum wealth sharing of oil and water from the River Nile.

Hundreds of supporters greeted Kiir on the campaign trail for the south Sudanese presidency, waving banners and kicking up dust in celebratory dances in the small Yirol town, which has few permanent buildings like much of the south devastated by the war. Several white bulls were slaughtered in his honour.

The SPLM said it would boycott all elections in the north, except the central states of Blue Nile and South Kordofan, where it said it was sure to win, despite the widespread fraud they accuse the NCP of committing.

The move has sparked confusion among Sudan's opposition. Some have also boycotted but others are continuing in the race, although they all agreed with the concerns over irregularities.

Kiir also accused Sudan's President Omar Hassan al Bashir of refusing to form commissions to oversee the southern referendum and another vote for the citizens of the oil-rich Abyei area to choose whether to join the north or south.

"They don't want the south to stand alone," he said, speaking in his native Dinka, the language of the south's largest tribe. "The intention is to take over the land so they will control everything."

SPLM Boycotts Elections in 13 of 15 Northern States
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service:

7 April 2010 - ( Khartoum) – The SPLM has announced that it is boycotting elections in 13 states in northern Sudan due to what it calls “widespread rigging” of elections by the National Congress Party.

SPLM secretary-general Pagan Amum addressed a press conference in Khartoum on Tuesday night.

[Pagan Amum]: “I would like to inform you that our committee that was set up by the leadership of the SPLM yesterday [Monday] has finished its meeting with the leaders of SPLM in the Northern Sector and after reviewing all the reports from all the thirteen states of the Northern Sector, we have arrived at a conclusion and a decision to boycott elections in the thirteen states of northern Sudan. These include the three states of Darfur because in Darfur, war still continues and the state of emergency is imposed. It is impossible to conduct free and fair elections in a state of emergency as it is continuing there. The SPLM calls for an end to the war in Darfur and the end of the state of emergency so that the people of Darfur can participate in the elections in an environment of freedom where they can choose their own government in their states as well as participate in the elections of their government at the national level.”

Amum called on SPLM supporters to completely boycott parliamentary and governorship elections in the thirteen states in northern Sudan.

[Pagan Amum]: “The SPLM is boycotting elections in the remaining states of northern Sudan which are: the Northern State, Nile Valley State, Khartoum State, Al-Gazira State, Northern Kordofan State, White Nile State, Sennar State, Gadarif State, Kassala State and Red Sea State. We boycott these elections and the SPLM will continue calling for free and fair elections, calling for the handing over of political power to the Sudanese people through free and fair elections. And therefore our boycott continues. We will be calling on our people to boycott these elections until an environment for free and fair elections, where our people can choose their government, is created.”

He added that though the SPLM is boycotting elections in thirteen states in northern Sudan, the SPLM will take part in elections in Blue Nile and Southern Kordofan and southern Sudan.

The Sudan general elections are scheduled to take place on 11th, 12th and 13th April 2010.

Upcoming Sudanese Elections Reflect Complex Political Problems
From Vatican Radio:

(07 Apr 10 - RV) The credibility of Sudan’s first multiparty elections in years continues to be cast in doubt, with Southern Sudan's main political party announcing it will boycott the ballot appointment scheduled for the weekend. The Sudanese People's Liberation Movement says it is withdrawing its candidates from the northern states for the April 11 vote, which includes local as well as parliamentary and presidential polls, because of alleged government control of the media and biased legislation that make an honest vote impossible.

Fr. Sean O’Leary of the South Africa-based Denis Hurley Peace Institute told us the elections are only one element in a very large and complex political problem facing the entire region.

Darfur ready for elections says Nafie

Darfur Ready for Elections Says Nafie
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service:

7 April 2010 - ( Khartoum) – The deputy chairman of the National Congress Party says that Darfur is ready for the elections.

Dr. Nafie Ali Nafie was reacting to claims by the SPLM and opposition parties that Darfur is not ready for the elections. They say that the state of emergency in the region will not allow for the conduct of free and fair elections.

Dr. Nafie claims that the voter registration exercise in Darfur was more successful that in most states in the country.

[Dr. Nafie Ali Nafie]: “We are telling the people of Darfur here in Khartoum that the registration in Darfur was much better than in other states of Sudan and the participation of Darfur in the coming elections will be higher than in many states of Sudan. Darfur will vote for the NCP.”

He also accused some individuals living in western countries of using Darfur to earn a living.

[Dr. Nafie Ali Nafie]: “A few individuals continue to trade on the Darfur case in western countries and in Washington, Britain, Holland and Belgium and Geneva. Those people are a few individuals from Darfur. As is the case for many Sudanese, they claim to represent the people of Darfur and they living off the name of Darfur, issuing political asylum identity cards in the name of Darfur and getting financial support from illegal companies.”

The deputy chairman of the NCP, Dr. Nafie Ali Nafie, was addressing a campaign rally in Khartoum on Tuesday.

President Bashir to grant Carter Centre unlimited access in Sudan - Carter Center denies Al-Bashir apology demand

Beshir to grant Carter Centre unlimited access in Sudan
From Middle East Online, Wednesday, 07 April 2010:

Sudanese President says decision is recognition to good things former US President did for his country.

KHARTOUM - Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir said on Wednesday he would grant former US president Jimmy Carter and his election observers unlimited access in the country during landmark elections that kick off Sunday.

"In two days, president Carter will arrive and I will receive him and will give him and his centre permission to go to any area of Sudan and to monitor any area in Sudan," Beshir told a rally north of Sudan, as the election campaign begins to wind down.

"This man did good things for us and we never forget the man who did good things for us," Beshir said in an address broadcast live on state television.

It appeared to be a shift in tone after repeated threats by Beshir to expel observers if they were believed "to interfere" in the electoral process.

Sudan is to hold its first multi-party general election since 1986 from April 9-11, which will include presidential, legislative and local polls.

Beshir has previously said he would silence any observers who "insult us", and he also warned that if observers "intervene in our affairs, then we will cut off their fingers and crush them under our shoes."

The American Carter Centre, the European Union, the African Union, the Arab League and Japan are all sending missions to Sudan.

The EU mission, the largest with 130 observers, said on Wednesday that it was considering pulling observers out of the war-torn western Sudanese region of Darfur because of security concerns.

Carter Center Denies Al-Bashir Apology Demand
From SRS - Sudan Radio Service, 7 April 2010:

(Juba) – The US elections monitoring body from the Carter Center has denied reports that they requested an apology from President Omar al-Bashir who threatened to expel them.

Since the beginning of this year, President al-Bashir has twice threatened to expel any foreign observers who demand the postponement of the elections.

Speaking to SRS on Wednesday from Juba, the Carter Center’s deputy director in Juba said they did not ask for any apology from the president.

[Sanne van den Bergh]: “We did not ask for an apology but we had asked for a clarification of the remarks that President al-Bashir had made and we also asked for a re-affirmation of our invitation as international observers, which we received. The rumor that that president Carter has been banned from Sudan is completely untrue as well as the other rumor that we are banned from 9 states of Sudan as international observers - that is also completely untrue.”

The Dubai-based Al-Arabiya TV, quoting unidentified sources, said that the Carter Center informed Khartoum about their intention to withdraw unless they receive a "written and public" apology from President al-Bashir.

Carter Center officials issued a report in March which warned that Sudan’s April presidential and legislative elections remained "at risk on multiple fronts" and urged Sudan to lift harsh restrictions on rallies.

EU considers withdrawing Darfur poll observers - EU election monitors pull out of Darfur: AFP reporter

THE people of Sudan have had five years to prepare for the elections April 11. Soon the rainy season will arrive in Sudan, making many roads impassable. If one considers the possibility that gun toting anti-government groups in Sudan are all part of one group aiming to topple the Sudanese government by force, surely any delay in Sudan's elections (part of the CPA) plays into their hands. As noted here last week, the Darfur elections can be held at a later date:

[Paul Wesson, UK election observer in Sudan]: “I think the issue is that in the whole country you have 17 million people having an election and the election should not be delayed because of the actions of a few thousands people in one area. But if there is no election in that area, then that can be dealt with at a later stage, but the important thing is to have elections for the 17 million people — yes, the electorate is 17 million people - and the tribal conflicts are carried by a few thousand people who perhaps don’t have the national picture in their minds. It is possible that if an election doesn’t take place in one state or in one constituency it could be held separately at a later stage. The important thing is that the main election takes place.”

Bearing in mind that 70% of Sudanese citizens are illiterate, and al-Qaeda and its ilk are in Sudan, I think the Sudanese government deserves credit for Sudan not turning into a Somalia.

It seems to me that recent threats by Sudan's president to cut off the noses, necks, fingers, etc., of those who demand that elections be delayed, are figures of speech. I can think of a few strange phrases used by Westerners that might seem threatening when translated into Arabic.

Here in England, a general election is scheduled for May 6. I live in an area where the party I shall be voting for could never win. But it does not discourage me from voting.

Many brave people have given their lives for our freedom to vote. Boycotting elections or abstaining from voting is an insult to those who fought for, and died for, our right to vote.

Talking about strange phrases, here's one that springs to mind when I think of Sudanese rebels who refuse to face elections: "Sh*t or get off the pot".

EU considers withdrawing Darfur poll observers
From Reuters by Andrew Heavens Wed Apr 7, 2010 9:43am GMT - excerpt:

(EL-FASHER, Sudan) - The European Union said on Wednesday said it was considering withdrawing its election observers from Sudan's Darfur region over fears for their safety and restrictions on their work. [...]

"We are considering withdrawing the observers (from Darfur)," said Veronique De Keyser, who heads the EU's election mission in Sudan. "The safety of some of the observers in some remote parts of the country is a very big concern for me. I am also concerned about our ability to observe."

"In some parts of Darfur the violence is terrible. The humanitarians cannot access this area. And if aid cannot access, we cannot access," she told reporters as she flew into el-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, to meet her six-strong team in the remote western region.

"We can only have a very partial view, so how can we observe properly in Darfur? The credibility of the mission is at stake. People have been asking how can you observe in Darfur, and this is a question I have to answer."

De Keyser said she was particularly worried after Sudan's President Omar Hassan al-Bashir threatened to expel international observers who pushed for a delay in the ballot. Bashir has threatened to cut off their fingers and tongues.

"You don't usually treat international observers you have invited like that. ... It doesn't reflect the traditional hospitality of the Arab world," she said. [...]

South Sudan's main party, the Sudan People's Liberation Movement, pulled out of elections in most north Sudan states on Tuesday, citing widespread fraud in the build up to the vote and the insecurity in Darfur.

Other small opposition parties have followed suit but the large Umma party on Wednesday was still discussing how far to follow suit.

De Keyser said it was too early to judge the impact of the withdrawals on the credibility of the elections.

Sudan Journalists Lament Lack of Civic Education in Up-coming Polls
Voice of America - Wednesday 07 April 2010
Manyang Mayum, a journalist with The Sudan Tribune denied reports that the elections could be postponed, saying that “if the election is pushed back, it will affect the referendum and hence the chances of secession.” Al-Bashir sent just such a message during a recent campaign stop.

EU election monitors pull out of Darfur: AFP reporter
EUbusiness.com 07 April 2010, 18:32 CET
(KHARTOUM) - European Union monitors stationed in the western Sudanese region of Darfur left the war-torn region on Wednesday ahead of Sunday's elections, said an AFP reporter travelling with them. "I have decided to go back with all the team of six observers that were still in Darfur," EU head of mission Veronique de Keyser told reporters on the plane.

UNMIS Radio Miraya: New drama series aimed at enlightening the public on the 11-13 April presidential and legislative elections in Sudan

Note that the national elections are provided for in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005, ending the conflict between northern and southern Sudan. The UN's mission in southern Sudan (UNMIS) is tasked with assisting both parties implement their commitments under the CPA.

Sudan: UN mission takes to the airwaves with civic education drama
From UN News Centre, 30 March 2010:

Photo: Ballot papers being transported to Upper Nile State elections logistics warehouse in Sudan

The United Nations Mission in Sudan is taking to the airwaves with a new radio drama series aimed at raising public awareness on various issues, including measures related to the ongoing process of implementing the peace accord that ended two decades of civil war in Africa’s largest country.

The series, ‘Tahed Shadjera Ardeb,’ Arabic for ‘Under the Tamarind Tree,’ can be heard on Radio Miraya, which is run by the mission, known as UNMIS. The initial programmes will dramatize themes aimed at enlightening the public on the 11-13 April presidential and legislative elections in Sudan.

The national elections are provided for in the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in 2005, ending the conflict between northern and southern Sudan.

The series will also tackle other themes, including domestic violence, the reintegration of former fighters into society and agriculture.

The programmes are produced in simple Arabic and broadcast on Radio Miraya’s southern and northern Sudan programming streams at 12:08 local time. Repeats can be heard in the evening.

Radio drama is considered an effective way of promoting debate on sensitive social and political issues in a compelling way, while also reaching populations with low literacy rates and who have limited access to information because they live in remote areas.

UNMIS runs Radio Miraya in partnership Fondation Hirondelle, a Swiss non-governmental organization (NGO).

Two decades of war between the Sudanese Government and the southern-based Sudan People’s Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A) left more than two million people dead and displaced an estimated four million others.

UNMIS is tasked with assisting both parties implement their commitments under the CPA.

Japan will dispatch an election observation team to Sudan

DISPATCH OF A JAPANESE ELECTION OBSERVATION TEAM FOR THE GENERAL ELECTIONS IN SUDAN
Source: Japan - Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Monday, 05 April 2010 (via pr-usa.net):

The Government of Japan will dispatch an election observation team to Sudan to assist free and fair elections to be conducted in the general elections in Sudan scheduled to be held from Sunday, April 11 to Sunday, April 18, 2010. The team will be headed by Mr. Yuichi Ishii, former Ambassador of Japan in Sudan, and composed of sixteen members including government officials and private experts.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) signed in January 2005 put an end to the North-South civil war in Sudan, which had lasted for more than twenty years. The CPA stipulated the holding of the general elections in Sudan, where nation-wide elections have not been conducted over a long period of time. Therefore, the forthcoming general elections will be a very important milestone from the point of view of the democratization of Sudan as well as the implementation of the Agreement.

During the stay in Sudan, the election observation team will conduct monitoring in such activities as the preparation of the elections and the processes of voting and counting. The team also plans to exchange views and information with representatives of the National Election Commission, the Sudanese Government and other election observation teams, among others. Other countries and organizations such as the European Union, the African Union and a non-governmental organization of the United States are also sending observers to the elections.

To support the preparation and implementation of the general elections in Sudan, Japan extended assistance amounting to approximately ten million US dollars (approximately one billion Japanese yen) in October last year. Japan's dispatch of an election observation team is the manifestation of its cooperation for the democratization of Sudan not just in finance but also in the personnel area. Japan, bearing in mind a referendum in southern Sudan scheduled for January 2011, intends to make active efforts for peace and stability in Sudan.