20101022
Sudan Tribune

Juba — An advisor on security affairs to president of southern Sudan, John Kong Nyuon, on Thursday urged the region not to believe statements attributed to senior officials from Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) that the north and south may return to war.

Tensions are rising in Sudan ahead of referenda in January that will determine whether the south secedes and whether the oil-rich region of Abyei remains in the north or joins what could be a newly-independent south.

The plebiscites were agreed as part of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement between the NCP and the former rebels the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) who have governed the south since the deal.

The north-south conflict lasted over two decades, around 2 million were killed and 4 million forced to leave their homes.

Both sides have accused the other of being responsible for the delays to the referenda, especially in the case of Abyei.

Accusations over troop deployment on the north-south border and Abyei have become increasingly bitter over the last few weeks.

Nyuon in his statement was especially critical of former Sudanese foreign minister Mustafa Osman Ismail for his comments on 30 September, asking students to prepare for war.

"The most irritating one was the statement which called on youth and students from higher learning institutions in the north to prepare for war in case the south secedes, by Mustafa Osman Ismail, a presidential advisor and Secretary General for external relations in the National Congress Party."

The southern special advisor believes that the NCP are making the statements in an attempt to get the south to vote for unity rather than independence.

"These are just political propagandas. They are not prepared for any war at all because they know they will not fight [as] it [...] was in the past. What they are making these days is a simple oratory of intimidation to scar potential southern voters in the north to vote against their will in favor of unity," said Nyuon.

The senior government official made the remarks while addressing representatives of traditional leaders from greater Upper Nile in his residence on Thursday evening.

He also urged traditional leaders to encourage internal displaced persons still in the north to return before the referendum assisted government of south Sudan.

Nyuon, said that even if war did breakout the Khartoum based NCP did not have the ability to win as they had left themselves in "an isolated triangle."

He pointed to the ongoing conflict in the western region of Darfur as an example of how the Khartoum has failed to win military confronations.

"Can Khartoum really win a war involving four regions? Will they really win any war? They may have been lucky in the past to use marginalized groups and people by using disgruntled individuals from corners of Sudan to fight their wars. But this is not what the current situation tells." said Nyuon.

Speaking on behalf of traditional leaders, chief Duer Riak Kong, commended southern President Salva Kiir Mayardit for organizing the recently concluded Southern Sudan Political Parties' conference and for issuing an executive order to pardon ex-military officers who have fought against the southern army the SPLA.

"We sincerely thank president Kiir for organizing an all political parties' conference and for issuing presidential order pardoning all those whose forces might have clashed with SPLA forces," said chief Kong.

"This is a wise and unifying decision. South Sudan needs each and everyone to take part in the successful conduct of the forthcoming referendum," he added.

The south is widely expected to vote for independence in the poll due to begin 9 January 2011.