| Sudan Commits To Planned Referendum
The Sudan People's Liberation Movement, SPLM, has restates it commitment to the planned January 2011 referendum for south Sudan .
Loyalties were pledged at a 3-day political parties' conference to build a consensus in preparation for the 2011 referendum, holding at the Nyakuron Cultural Centre in Juba .
SPLM Deputy Secretary General for the Southern Sector, Dr. Anne Itto, told
newsmen in Juba that the Chairman Mr. Salva Kiir Mayardit, had called the
all-party conference to unite south Sudanese and build a consensus among all
political parties ahead of the referendum.
The meeting would also be discussing post-referendum issues like oil and
Nile water sharing.
Support from the international community
Itto said the conference would allow the parties to agree on how to create an environment that will allow the international community to recognise south Sudan after the result of the referendum on secession.
UN agencies operating in South Sudan have promised to provide full support for the upcoming referendum to ensure that its outcome is recognised by the
international community.
Head of UNMIS, David Gressly said at a Women Conference in Juba that the mission and UNDP would provide technical and logistic support for a credible, free and fair referendum.
Mr. Gressly said UNMIS had trained Southern Sudan police to improve their skills to provide security during the exercise.
Referendum county offices
UNMIS plans to build referendum offices at county level to provide technical, logistical and security requirements while it has already provided twenty helicopters to be use in south Sudan to ferry ballot papers and other materials to the polling centres.
Demobilisation of army ahead of historic event
The army of South Sudan has enlisted 2600 military personnel for a
demobilisation process within two months.
The chairman of Southern Sudan Disarmament, Demobilization and Rehabilitation Commission, William Deng Deng, announced the number of SPLA soldiers to be discharged while launching the exercise in Torit.
Mr. Deng stressed that the SPLA would extend the demobilisation exercise to all other states of Southern Sudan, including Western Bahr El Ghazal, Upper Nile and Jonglei.
Eastern Equatorial State Deputy Governor, Nartisio Manir Lolukei said the
demobilisation was an indication of peace in the region and advised the local communities not to despise ex-combatants for leaving active service.
SCRN/Yinka |
