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Sudan lays conditions for south independence vote
[September 28, 2010] KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) -- Sudan's ruling party on Tuesday laid down a series of conditions for holding a crucial referendum on southern secession, including demarcating the borders and redeploying southern forces.
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Youth and Sports Minister Hajj Majid Suwar told the state news agency that in addition to drawing up the potential borders between the two halves of the country, southern military units had to redeploy south of the 1956 border. North and south Sudan fought a brutal 20 year civil war that claimed 2 million lives and only ended with a 2005 peace agreement that stipulated a Jan. 9 referendum over southern secession desires. The new conditions, which include calls for the south not to interfere with those campaigning for the unity of the country, could be interpreted by the southerners as a stalling tactic by a north reluctant to lose the oil-rich southern half of the country. Much of the boundary between the oil-rich south and the northern, Muslim-dominated government is undefined and contested -- mainly because of the region's richness in resources. A little more than three months before the referendum, concerns are rising that mistrust between the northern and southern governments could derail it altogether. Southern officials fear the Khartoum government is trying to put off the south's secession, despite numerous pledges by northern leaders to hold the plebiscite on time. During the current U.N. General Assembly session, Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and world leaders have expressed concerns that preparations for the Jan. 9 vote are lagging and urged a timely and peaceful ballot to ensure any possible transition is smooth and does not ignite a new civil war. Last week, President Barack Obama attended high-level talks on Sudan organized by the U.N. chief. His presence demonstrated Washington's concern interest in a peaceful resolution to the decades-long conflict. The U.S. has offered Sudan the possibility of restored diplomatic relations if it improves conditions in the conflict-wracked western Darfur region and does not undermine the referendum. |
