SPLM And NCP Agree On Post Referendum Issues To Be Discussed

21 July 2010 - (Juba) – The SPLM and the NCP have agreed on four post-referendum issues to be discussed in the upcoming African Union conference in Kampala on July 27th.

The consensus was reached after the two partners in Sudan’s coalition government met in Juba this week to discuss the post-referendum issues, in anticipation of the outcome of the referendum for southern Sudan in January next year.

The GOSS Minister for Peace and CPA Implementation and SPLM Secretary-General Pagan Amum addressed the press in Juba on Tuesday after the two-day meeting on post referendum negotiations.

[Pagan Amum]: “We have agreed to divide the discussions on the post referendum arrangements into four clusters; citizenship, security, economic and natural resource management as well as international treaties. In this meeting we have agreed on principles to guide the working groups to reach agreement that would usher Sudan into permanent peace and establish good relations between the north and the south regardless of the choice of the people of southern Sudan. We have reaffirmed our commitment to the holding of the referendum in time and to respect the choice of the people of southern Sudan. We will be working from the 27th of July to negotiate and reach agreement on the details after these preparations.”

Meanwhile, Pagan said the European Union has promised to support the referendum process.

[Pagan Amum]: “We asked the European Union to support the holding of referendum in time through contributing fund for the conduct of the referendum that would go to the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission as well as to ensure that they deploy EU observers as earlier as from the start of the process. The European Union has availed 150 million US dollars for development and particularly for the war affected areas in Sudan. This is for provision of basic services like education, water and health services, but that is not related to the referendum. We received a very positive response from the European Union to support the referendum in time and we also received a confirmation that the European Union shall accept, respect and recognize the choice of the people of southern Sudan in that referendum.”

The NCP spokesperson Mutrif Siddik confirmed that irrespective of the referendum results; the two parties will maintain peace in the country.

[Mutrif Siddik]: “The parties accept the right of self determination of the people of southern Sudan and respect the outcome. The parties have also emphasized giving unity the first priority as stipulated in the CPA. Regardless of the outcome of the referendum, the parties have emphasized the need to work together and make the outcome of the referendum a peaceful one; something that will lead to prosperity and maintenance of security and the welfare of the Sudanese people at large. These are generally the principle we have agreed upon.”

The two-day meeting between the two parties was chaired by the Chairman of the African Union High Level Implementation Panel on Sudan, the former South African President Thabo Mbeki.