20101106
UN News

Juba — The government of the semi autonomous region of south Sudan (GoSS) on Friday rejected an Egyptian proposal calling for a delay to the conduct of the upcoming self determination referendum in south Sudan.

The referendum is the culmination of a six year peace agreement between Sudan's ruling National Congress Party (NCP) and the former southern-based rebel movement the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), who have governed the south since 2005.

Speaking to Sudan Tribune in the regional capital of Juba on Thursday, Marial Benjamin Bil, minister of information and broadcasting services said the vote on self determination would on go ahead as planned because both parties had agreed to it.

"The two parties have already agreed to conduct [the] referendum on time. It has been discussed and announced several times. The last presidency meeting also reiterated the conduct of referendum on time. So, there is no delay here," said the minister.

The head of the referendum commission said in press statements last week that holding the vote on time would amount to a "miracle".

Bil said that the referendum date had been agreed as part of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended two decades of war.

"The 2005 peace signed between the two parties and which was signed by Egyptian government as an eye witness to the agreement, allows conduct of the referendum on 9th of January 2011", said Bill.

There is nothing, he said, that would prevent the conduct of the referendum.

"The environment would be conducive. The government of south Sudan is committed and confident that the environment would be conducive for the conduct of the referendum because the exercise will be conducted with participation of the international observers, civil society organizations and forces of United Nations," he said.

The minister also dismissed claims by the NCP that completing the demarcation of the north-south border was a prerequisite for the conduct of referendum.

The Egyptian government on Wednesday expressed concerns that post referendum violence would create an influx of migrants from its neighbor to the south.

"We fear separation may be accompanied by some violent actions that affect Sudan's relations with neighboring countries and Egypt, which circumstances may oblige to host Sudanese" fleeing unrest, the official MENA news agency quoted the Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Aboul-Gheit as telling a committee at the consultative council which is known as Shura council on Thursday.

"This is matter of concern that requires adequate preparations," he said.

"It is not a problem if the referendum is delayed for several months.........Sudanese should take into account the priority of the importance of life over the importance of holding the referendum on time " MENA quoted the Egyptian minister as saying.

Egypt has been historically opposed to South Sudan's secession for fear that it would affect its share in their share of the Nile waters.