Jimmy Carter Hails Unity Among Southern Sudanese

Jimmy Carter Hails Unity Among Southern Sudanese

Former United States President Jimmy Carter has commended southern Sudanese President Salva Kiir, for uniting southern Sudanese in the ongoing independence referendum.

Southern Sudan could become Africa 's newest nation, depending on the outcome of this week's referendum that ends on Saturday.

Mr. Carter, however, warned that people's lives were not going to change overnight if Sudan 's South breaks away from the north.

The former US President told newsmen that Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir has assured him that the north would bear the burden of the country's debt so the new country could be free from financial burdens.

Sudanese officials have said at least 36 people have been killed in three days of tribal clashes in the country's oil-rich, but disputed Abyei district, a contested area along Sudan 's north-south border.

Mr. Carter said there are reasons to believe that neither the ruling National Congress Party (NCP) nor the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) are involved in the conflict.

“One good thing about that altercation in Abyei is I don't believe that the forces of the north and south government were involved. This is primarily an altercation between the two tribal groups; the Ngok Dinka and the Misseriya, and I believe it is just a local altercation,” said President Carter.

He also said that during a meeting with Mr. Kiir, he discussed with the semi-autonomous southern Sudanese leader, the need to improve the system of government to make it more inclusive and to protect human rights, as well as an overall improvement in the lives of the ordinary southern Sudanese.

VOA/Margaret/Yinka