Registration In Juba, Yambio And Yei

15 November 2010 – (Juba, Yambio, Yei) – SRS also conducted a comprehensive coverage on the first day of the registration exercise in southern Sudan towns of Juba, Yambio and Yei.

In Juba, huge numbers of people turned out to register. Speaking to SRS on Monday at Dr.John Garang De Mabior Mausoleum registration Center, the area councilor Mr. Hyder Juma said that his work is to help the people who have no documents to register.

[Hyder Juma]: “My duty here in the center is to simplify because most of the people as we know they don’t have documents since we are just coming out of the war, people don’t have IDs, National IDs, Passports and legal documents for them to register. So my duty here is to simplify for them the process because they are my people and I know them so I let them be interviewed and then get registered. And the good thing is that Juba council has made it easy”

In Yambio, our reporter Christina Jambo gives us a report on the ongoing registration process.

[Christina Jambo]: “Today marks the beginning of the registrations process in Yambio town. I have visited many registrations centers; I was in Nakpangau county center, Nabiima center, Pazuo center, Tiimbiro center and Yabongo center. It has been announced that today will be a public holiday by the governor so that people can go and register. The centers were open from 8:00 Am. People are coming out in big numbers. The registration process is going on smoothly but slowly. This is due to the few numbers of officials who are registering. What I have realized is that there are no observers, only the local media and the international media.”

That was Christina Jambo reporting to SRS from Yambio.

Yei River county had a big number of people who came out to register.

Our correspondent Monday Moi reports.

[Monday Moi]: “The registration centers opened at eight o’clock in the morning. The turn out is huge. I went to three centers and the queues were really very huge though it is the first day. So, the turn out is excellent.”

David Lokong’a, the commissioner for Yei River county who was first to register urged the people coming to register to ensure that they cast their votes on the voting day.

[David Lokong’a]: “When I was at the queue I felt like a born again; it was like I had already entered the referendum process. My message to my people is to come and register and keep their registration cards well waiting for the 9th of January, 2011. My joy is that am holding my card; this means that I have become part and parcel of what is going to happen on the 9th of January, 2011. Each and every one should also become part and parcel of this history that we are making. Everyone has to come and register because this is a preparation for the future of your children and your great grand children.”

SRS also got the views of people in Yei on the exercise.

[John Panther]: “My name is John Panther, I have registered already. In my view, southern Sudanese were ready for the registration and for the coming referendum. Actually I am very happy.”

[Agnes Nyoka]: The cue is so long and it takes time because you have to tell your four names yet right now, we only have two people doing this; one person is registering people and the other is laminating these papers. One person cannot cope up with all these people around here. I am very excited because it is my first time to participate in a referendum since I was born. After this registration, I will have to cast my vote because I can’t just register and fail to vote.”

Those were the views of southern Sudanese in Yei on the registration exercise that started on Monday.