KHARTOUM, Nov. 14 (Xinhua) -- Just about one year ahead of the referendum on self-determination for southern Sudan, and the southern Sudanese region remains one of the most tensed areas in the country.

A south-south dialogue conference Saturday convened in Khartoum to discuss the phenomenon of tribal violence in the south and crystallize a unified stance for the southern Sudanese political forces toward some outstanding issues including the issue of unity and separation between north and south Sudan.

The participants at the conference agreed that the conditions in the south need conclusive solutions and unification of the southern Sudanese political forces, and called for signing a reconciliation charter between southern Sudan components.

Deputy Chairman of Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP), Nafie Ali Nafie, addressing the opening sitting of the conference, said that "the issues of south Sudan will not be resolved but by the southerners themselves, and that the current challenges necessitate a clear stance by the southern Sudanese political forces".

"The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) has placed a great responsibility on the shoulder of the southern Sudanese political forces, and the issues of referendum and self-determination require convocation of such a conference which is of great importance at this time", he added.

Chairman of the SPLM (Democratic Change), Lam Akol, for his part, noted that the levels of violence in the south concern the southern Sudanese political elites, saying "no doubt that the security situation in the south concerns the southerners, whereas only three states out of ten in the region enjoy relevant stability".

Akol further accused the SPLM, which governs south Sudan, of failing to defuse the tension and achieve security and stability in the region, saying "the SPLM bears the responsibility of the security disorder. It is a part of that mess".

He went on to say that the SPLM does not respect the rights of the tribes in south Sudan and that the government of southern Sudan is requested to reconsider the way it treats the tribes and other political parties in the south and involve the southerners in resolving the security crisis.

Chairman of the south-south dialogue conference, Abdalla Rasas, addressing the conference, said the security conditions in the south were complicated and "need all of us to exert further efforts to tackle it and reconcile the clashing tribes".

"The southern Sudan's security problem cannot be tolerated and the southern Sudanese political parties and the Islamic and Christian religious men should work together to resolve the issues of difference among the southern tribes and improve the situation in the region", he added.

Chairman of the National Umma Party and the Adviser to the Sudanese President, Abdalla Masar, meanwhile, criticized the performance of the government of southern Sudan and accused the SPLM of failure in managing the southern Sudan affairs.

"The south is passing a very critical phase because of mismanagement by the southern Sudan government, which has negatively been affected by its external commitments and failed in achieving security and stability in the south. It has attached its concern to its differences with the NCP without regard to the needs of the southerners", he noted.

Masar urged the SPLM to do justice to the southerners and other southern Sudanese parties and avail them full freedom to exercise their legal and constitutional role.

The SPLM is boycotting the south-south dialogue conference, which started its sessions in Khartoum Saturday with the participation of political parties from north and south Sudan.