Many Challenges Ahead Says GOSS Official

8 February 2011 – (Khartoum) – As Southern Sudan awaits the birth of a new nation on July 9th, the government of southern Sudan faces many challenges ahead.

The GOSS minister for Peace and CPA implementation Pagan Amum says that although there are indeed many challenges, the government is up to the task.

He spoke to SRS on Tuesday from Khartoum after the announcement of the final results on Monday.

[Pagan Amum]: “We are absolutely prepared. It is not going to be easy but we are sure that we will go through it. You know we have come from a very long way. Having traveled that long throughout the history of our struggle to this point has not been easy, and this should prepare us for the next step. One journey has come to an end and we should now be prepared to move to the next step. We know it is not going to be easy, but all of us should be prepared!”

Mr Amum who is also the SPLM Secretary General, said that the two partners are now engaged in discussions aimed at resolving the post-referendum issues, which include Abyei and the north-south border demarcation.

[Pagan Amum]: “First we will use the remaining period of the interim period, the time between now to June and 9 July to focus on resolving all outstanding issues particularly Abyei so that the Ngo’k Dinka people of Abyei can decide their fate between choosing to remain in the north or returning to southern Sudan, while we guarantee the rights of the Misseriya people to continue grazing the land in Abyei and cross through Abyei to southern Sudan without their rights being affected by the choice of the Ngo’k people or by south Sudan becoming an independent state. The second issue is to complete the demarcation of the border between the south and the north so that the border is clear and we don’t have any dispute in the border.”

Amum further revealed that the SPLM Political Bureau will meet on the 12th to the 15th of February to review the situation and discuss the future of the party in both the north and south.

He emphasized that the two parties are committed to ensure that peace prevails between the two new neighboring states once independence is declared.