Referendum Archive

« Older Entries
Bookmark and Share

Submit Questions to The Guardian’s Podcast on Southern Sudan’s Future

Friday, June 24th, 2011

Children in favor of independence for Southern Sudan

This month’s Global Development Podcast from the British daily newspaper The Guardian will be dedicated to the opportunities and challenges facing Southern Sudan after it becomes the world’s newest country on July 9th. The Guardian is taking questions for the podcast, which will be recorded on Wednesday, June 29th, and questions can be posted here.

Escalating tensions with Khartoum, a lack of infrastructure, an impoverished population, and a wealth of natural resources all contribute to form a complex and constantly shifting situation in the fledgling nation. The panel discussing these and other issues South Sudan will confront as gains its independence will include Sara Pantuliano, head of the humanitarian policy group at the Overseas Development Institute (ODI), and former head of the Sudan peace-building unit at the UN Development Programme (UNDP). Jonas Njelango, Sudan country representative for Tearfund, an international relief and development charity working in southern Sudan since 1998 will also contribute to the podcast. In addition, Jok Madut Jok, a fellow at the Rift Valley Institute and undersecretary for culture and heritage in the government of Southern Sudan, will join the podcast from Juba.

Your suggestions for topics on which the panel should focus and questions that should be posed to the panelists are welcomed. What do you think the new country needs to prioritize in its first year? What does the Government of Southern Sudan need to do to overcome inequalities between different regions and groups? And how can different development actors work together to make sure aid and other resources (including land and oil) are used and distributed to the benefit of southern Sudan’s poorest people?

Click here to post your questions, comments and suggestions. If you have any problems posting, or if you would prefer to comment anonymously, email development@guardian.co.uk and your thoughts will be added to the discussion.

Tags: , , , ,
Posted in Activism, Media, Peace Process, Referendum, South Sudan | Comments Off

Bookmark and Share

Sudan: Abyei Ablaze

Monday, May 23rd, 2011

Over the weekend, Sudan Armed Forces (SAF) troops undertook a comprehensive offensive, which resulted in the capture of Abyei town by northern troops. Due to Abyei’s status as a flashpoint for renewed conflict between north and south Sudan, this weekend’s attacks significantly raise the potential for wider fighting between the SAF and the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA)

On Saturday morning, nearly 5,000 SAF troops fought their way into Abyei town, the capital of the contested Abyei region.  Ostensibly the assault was in retaliation for Thursday’s attack on a convoy of SAF troops being escorted out of the territory by UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) peacekeepers.  The SAF actions were incredibly disproportionate and featured the widespread use of tanks and mortars to attack Abyei town, as well as the bombing of surrounding villages.

By Monday morning, armed gunmen were burning and looting homes and businesses in Abyei town.  An estimated 30,000 residents of the town have fled south towards the southern town of Agok.  Humanitarian aid workers have also been forced out of Abyei and relocated to the Southern Sudanese towns of Turalei and Wunrok.

The attacks drew widespread condemnation from the United States and the broader international community.  The U.S. condemned the attack and called for an immediate cessation of offensive operations in Abyei.  United Nations Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon condemned the ongoing heavy fighting, and expressed deep concern for the safety of Abyei’s civilian population.

Today, SDC/GI-NET and its allies have issued a press release as part of Sudan Now, calling on the international community to do the following:

  • The United States to demand the immediate cessation of offensive operations and the withdrawal of the SAF from the Abyei area;
  • Immediate U.S. imposition of unilateral sanctions on individuals implicated in violence;
  • The U.S. government to begin planning for contingency scenarios for civilian protection in Sudan;
  • The United States to convene an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council and propose the rapid establishment of a targeted sanctions regime for anyone responbile for violence against civilians in Sudan;
  • The UN Security Council to accelerate planning for emergency steps to protect civilians from violence; and
  • The UN to expand and strengthen existing UN sanctions on Sudan.

 

Posted in Human Rights, Humanitarian Aid, Referendum, South Sudan | Comments Off

Bookmark and Share

Army of North Sudan Seizes Abyei

Sunday, May 22nd, 2011

Image from the BBCYesterday, the Sudanese Armed Forces – the army of North Sudan – seized control of Abyei, the disputed town on the North/South border.  News is developing rapidly; here is a quick round-up:

News on Abyei:

BBC News – Sudan: Abyei seizure by North ‘act of war’, says South

AFP: North Sudan Abyei seizure ‘illegal,’ says south

Al Jazeera: North Sudan army takes control of Abyei

Responses:

UNMIS calls for immediate cessation of hostilities in Abyei

Statement by the Press Secretary on Sudan | The White House

 

Tags:
Posted in Referendum, South Sudan | Comments Off

Bookmark and Share

Urge the United States to Take Further Action for Peace in Darfur

Friday, May 6th, 2011

Sally Smith is the coordinator of Sudan Now.

Over the past decade, the people of Darfur have suffered through a devastating genocide, have been forced to flee their homes by the millions, and innocent men, women and children in Darfur suffer continuing attacks, many of which are launched by the Government of Sudan. While promising peace talks for Darfur are currently being held in Doha, a few key players threaten to derail the entire process.

The Doha peace process is Darfur’s best hope for a peaceful future. We must speak out together to ensure its success.

Urge the United States to take further action for peace in Darfur.

Sign our petition to Deputy National Security Advisor Denis McDonough, one of President Obama top advisors who deserves praise for his diligent work to ensure a peaceful referendum for South Sudan. Join us in asking Mr. McDonough to continue the great work he has begun and lay out the steps he needs to take to ensure a successful peace process for Darfur.

 

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Activism, Darfur, Obama Administration, Peace Process, Referendum, South Sudan, Uncategorized | Comments Off

Bookmark and Share

Darfur Interfaith Network demands attention to Darfur

Thursday, March 3rd, 2011

“No impunity for genocide crimes committed in Darfur”

On Sunday, February 20th, I joined a dedicated group of American activists from diverse faiths, including Judaism, Christianity, and Islam, that united to protest in front of the Sudanese embassy in Washington D.C.   We were there to call for an end to the systematic violence against civilians in Darfur. For each month in the past four years, the Darfur Interfaith Network (D.I.N.) has come to stand with the victims of genocide in Darfur and support the right of self-determination for the people of South Sudan.  On the Sunday that I attended, the group celebrated the peaceful completion of the South Sudan Referendum and called on the United States government and international community to turn their attention to the escalation of violence in Darfur.

Laura Katz Cutler, the founder of D.I.N. said, “We have been doing this for four years, and will never, ever stop until the genocide victims in Darfur are freed and they can live in peace and with dignity. We are committed to stand here every third Sunday of the month to tell our government that the war in Darfur is not over and it is too early to normalize relations with Khartoum or lift sanctions or remove their name from the state sponsors of the terrorism list, while the genocide is ongoing in Darfur.”

I shared with the activists the heartbreaking news about the current situation in Darfur, including the continued attacks against civilians, which killed over 2,300 Darfuris and displaced over 300,000 more, and the increased cases of sexual violence that are being reported nearly every day. December’s indiscriminate bombings in Jebel Marra, Thabit, Shangle Tobai, and many more areas in North and South Darfur displaced over 40,000 people and left thousands without critical aid. Unfortunately, the UNAMID troops that are there to protect civilians are hogtied by the Sudanese government’s obstructionism and the unwillingness of the international community to hold Khartoum accountable.  I told the group “Sadly, despite the devastation and the tragic situation for our people in Darfur, the Obama administration announced its plan to normalize relations with the al-Bashir regime and to take Sudan’s name off the list of the state sponsors of terrorism.”

Jimmy Mula, the President of Voices for Sudan and originally from South Sudan, said “We are grateful that the referendum went peacefully, however our task has not yet been completed as long as Darfur is still burning and the indicted president is still dictating over the Sudanese people affairs. The time has not yet come for America to normalize relations; we must write to the Obama Administration to tell him that we are against the normalization with Bashir and that his policy toward normalization should be revisited.” Mohamed Yahya, a Darfuri American and the Executive Director of Damanga Coalition for Freedom and Democracy, stated, “It’s very unfortunate that this great country is planning to reward the regime that killed millions of people, in both the civil war in South Sudan and the current genocide in Darfur.  It’s known to the world that he has been indicted for genocide, and shame on us, the American people, if we can’t tell our government not to do so”.

Miss Katz Cutler said, ”From what we have seen in the recent developments in the Middle East and North Africa, it’s proven that only the will of people can remain the power that can bring the change. Therefore there is no reason for us not to continue support the will of the people of Darfur to live in peace.”

At the end of the vigil, we gathered and prayed together and reiterated our commitment to continue to do whatever it takes to stand with the victims of the Darfur genocide. I left with much hope and energy.

I am convinced that the promise of “Never Again” can only become reality if ordinary citizens work for it. Groups like the Darfur Interfaith Vigil are not hesitant to tell their government and the world that they demand that President al-Bashir be held accountable for the crimes against humanity and genocide.

I believe that those of us who are lucky to have escaped the ongoing genocide in Darfur are obliged to be the voice for our people who have been oppressed and silenced. We must stand firm, build strong alliances with all people of conscience to fight against genocide and mass atrocities everywhere, and continue to defend the rights of all the oppressed and their equal access to justice and human rights.

Niemat Ahmadi, Diaspora Outreach and Advocacy Coordinator, Genocide Intervention Network/Save Darfur Coalition

About http://www.hope4darfurmarch.org/darfur-interfaith-network

Tags:
Posted in Activism, Activist Stories, African Union, Bush Administration, Congress, Darfur, Darfuri Stories, Emerging Crises, Events, Faith, genocide prevention, Human Rights, Humanitarian Aid, ICC / Justice, IDP Camps, Media, Obama Administration, Omar al-Bashir, Peace Process, Peacekeeping, Referendum, South Sudan, United Nations, Violence Against Women | No Comments »

Bookmark and Share

Historic Day for Sudanese People, Tensions Remain

Monday, February 7th, 2011

Reuters Photo: Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and General Salva Kiir (L), first vice-president of Sudan and governor of Southern Sudan, is seen at the presidential palace in Khartoum in this video frame grab taken February 7, 2011.

Today’s announcement by the South Sudan Referendum Commission confirming  that 98.83 percent of southerners voted for independence, is an historical accomplishment.  It marks the official end of the referendum process and the informal beginning of the post-referendum period.  Acceptance of the results by Sudanese President Omar Hassan al-Bashir adds further confidence that southern independence will be realized.

The Genocide Intervention Network/Save Darfur Coalition today congratulated the people of Sudan, but urged sustained U.S. and international attention to the interim period before South Sudan’s official independence in July. Many tensions will have to be addressed before the vision of a peaceful separation can be realized.  In the time between now and official independence on July 9th a host of post-referendum issues remain to be resolved and preparations must be made for the effective emergence of two new states, one in the north and one in the south.  Already there are troubling signs in both. (more…)

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Human Rights, IDP Camps, Omar al-Bashir, Referendum, Uncategorized | 1 Comment »

Bookmark and Share

Update: Sudan Conference Call, January 27th

Friday, February 4th, 2011

Update II: If you wern’t able to join us on the 27th you can now download a recording of the call and see what you missed:

Update: The conference call has ended. We will post a recording of the call as soon as it is available. Thanks!

At noon tomorrow today Save Darfur Coalition/Genocide Intervention Network, Human Rights Watch and the Enough Project will host a joint conference call on Sudan.  The call will be focused on the recent southern Sudanese referendum and feature Enough’s Laura Heaton, Save Darfur’s Daniel Sullivan and Human Rights Watch’s Jehanne Henry.

During this call we’re going to review the referendum process, take a look back at how the referendum appeared to those working in Juba and look forward to the post-referendum issues facing Sudan.  We’ll also be answering your questions about the referendum and what needs to take place to create a peaceful and prosperous Sudan.

Thanks to all of your efforts, the southern Sudanese referendum was a success.  Join us by phone tomorrow, January 27, 2011 at noon eastern time to learn more about where Sudan may be headed next.

Conference Call Information

Date: January 27, 2011
Time: 12:00 Noon Eastern Time
Dial-in#: 1-866-673-8277
Conference ID #: 39077494
If you would like to submit a question for the panel please email ask@savedarfur.org and we’ll try to make sure we get it answered.

Tags: , , , , , , , ,
Posted in Activism, Referendum | 1 Comment »

Bookmark and Share

President Obama: This Is No Time to Let up on Sudan

Wednesday, February 2nd, 2011

Cross posted from the Huffington Post.

Omar al-Bashir at the 12th A.U. Summit

The referendum on independence for Southern Sudan has come off with minimal violence, and it seems that Sudan’s president Omar Hassan Al-Bashir will accept the inevitable outcome: Southern secession.  The Obama administration is rightfully pleased with how the referendum has been carried out, but this is not the time to let up. A peaceful resolution to the North-South conflict may be possible, but there are many issues that are not yet resolved, and the situation in Darfur remains unstable and threatening to those living there in camps for displaced persons. We must urge the White House to stay engaged.

Some in the West, such as The Guardian’s Simon Tisdall, have proclaimed that “Sudan’s rehabilitation has begun.”  Tisdall seems so sanguine, in fact, that he even implies that “setting the much misunderstood Darfur situation to one side,” Bashir is not really the bad actor that “rightwing American” activists portray him to be.

With all due respect to Tisdall, I ask: What?

Is there anything to be misunderstood about the organized slaughter in Darfur of as many as 450,000 men, women and children, the rape of tens of thousands of women and girls, the displacement of millions and the undermining of humanitarian groups trying to get them food, water and medicine?  And how should we interpret the intense and sporadic outbreaks of new violence in that area in the last several weeks?

Is genocide something we can paper over as Tisdall suggests?

(more…)

Tags: , , , , , ,
Posted in Activism, Human Rights, Humanitarian Aid, IDP Camps, Obama Administration, Referendum | 1 Comment »

Bookmark and Share

Abyei: In the Middle of the “Peaceful Divorce”

Monday, January 24th, 2011

The likely separation of South Sudan from the North has often been described in terms of a divorce, or in the words of South Sudan’s envoy to the United States, as a “peaceful divorce”.  If this is the analogy, then the border region of Abyei is the child meant to have a say over custody.  According to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement between north and south Sudan, Abyei was to have a referendum alongside the southern referendum to vote whether or not it wanted to join a separate south.  It is no secret that the Ngok Dinka, who make up the majority of Abyei’s residents, would decide to go with the South, but, to stay with the divorce analogy, the messy issue of visitation rights remains in the form of the nomadic Misseriya cattle herders from the north that have traditionally shared land in Abyei during the dry season.  Disagreement between the north and south over whether the Misseriya should be eligible to vote has delayed the Abyei referendum indefinitely.  In other words, the divorce is going forward, but the status of the child remains in limbo.

This is no small matter.  The one spot of significant violence reported during the southern referendum were clashes between Misseriya militia and Dinka police near Abyei.  The fighting resulted in dozens of deaths and threatened to spark broader conflict.  Fortunately, officials from both the North and the South, as well as the international community, were quick to respond.  Talks between leaders of the Misseriya and Ngok Dinka have resulted in tentative agreements to allow Misseriya herders into Ngok Dinka territory, and the North and South have agreed on increased security measures.

Still, Ngok Dinka leaders say they may declare a unilateral annexation to the South by the end of the month if a referendum is not set.  For the moment, trade and transport between Abyei and the north has been halted, tens of thousands of returnees are stranded, and a tinder box of simmering tensions remains.  Sudan expert and former member of the Abyei Boundaries Commission, Douglas Johnson, recently provided recommendations for how those tensions can be addressed.  The ultimate resolution will come down to the parties directly involved, but the United States and the international community, which have provided various arbitration in recent years, will have a continued role to play.  If the great divorce is to be as peaceful as many hope, the sooner the status of Abyei is resolved, the better.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Referendum | 1 Comment »

Bookmark and Share

Update on the Referendum and Post-Referendum Issues

Thursday, January 20th, 2011

Despite concerns, the referendum vote in South Sudan occurred on time and was peaceful, free and fair. Voter turnout surpassed expectations and according to the South Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) chair Khalil Ibrahim, 83% of registered voters cast their ballots, exceeding the 60% turnout required for the vote.

There were over 22,000 domestic and another 600 international observers monitoring the referendum process and according to observer missions from the European Union, African Union, Arab League, Carter Center, IGAD, and the UN referendum monitoring panel the voting process was peaceful and credible.

On February 2nd, the SSRC will declare the preliminary results of the referendum and the final results will be announced on February 7th, unless there are any appeals. According to the head of the NCP political bureau Ibrahim Ghandour, “If secession occurs we are ready to support a new state and we look forward to brotherly relations with our ex-citizens.” While the NCP has engaged in similar rhetoric for months, it appears that they have actually accepted the inevitable and are unlikely to contest the referendum results.

Post Referendum Issues

While the referendum vote went remarkable well, the international community must remained engaged in Sudan given that the South will not become officially independent until July 9th especially since there are still several outstanding post referendum issues that must be resolved.

Abyei

Even though the disputed region of Abyei has the highest potential to spark conflict, little progress has been made. The Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the north-south civil war called for a simultaneous referendum in Abyei for citizens to decide whether or not to remain with the north or join the south. Unfortunately, due to a stalemate on voter eligibility, the referendum did not take place.

From January 7th-10th violence broke out killing at least 33 people in clashes between the Misseriya and SPLA and another 10 civilians returning to the south were killed when their bus was attacked. The situation has stabilized but remains tense. Talks concerning a political settlement for Abyei will begin on January 27 and are expected to lead to either a partition of Abyei or the cession of the disputed territory to the South with special rights and representation for the nomadic Misseriya who seasonally migrate through the region.

Border delineation

Aside from Abyei, several controversial border disputes remain. While 80% of the border has been delineated, and Technical Border Committee has been formed, insufficient progress has been achieved to determine the status of the remaining 20% which include disputed regions such as Renk, Megenis, Kaka, Bahr al Arab, and Kafia Kingi. The fear of many of the local communities is that “hard” border will form between the north and south which will negatively affect grazing rights, access to natural resources and economic opportunities.

Citizenship

Over the past year, inflammatory rhetoric concerning citizenship was widespread and heightened fears of many southerners living in the north. According to the Information Minister Kamal Mohamed Obeid southerners would not “enjoy citizenship rights, jobs or benefits, they will not be allowed to buy or sell in Khartoum market…. We will not even give them a needle in the hospital.” Presently, the tensions and inflammatory speech have died down and southerners living in the north and northerners living in the south have not been targeted.

It appears that citizenship is one post-referendum issue where progress has been achieved and it is likely that that neither group will be granted citizenship outside of their home country but will have rights to work, live, and own property.

Popular Consultations

The CPA also called for popular consultation in Blue Nile and South Kordofan, which are both part of the North but have extensive ties to the South. According to the Popular Consultation Parliamentary Commission chair, consultations in Blue Nile are currently underway but have not received enough funding to finalize the entire process. Very little has been released publically about the Blue Nile consultations, which coupled with the lack of funding leaves doubts about its effectiveness, there has been little progress towards establishing the popular consultation for South Kordofan. As the head of the UN Mission in Sudan (UNMIS) Haile Menkerios stated on Monday, “No sufficient political commitment and no clarification of objectives have been demonstrated by the parties to meet the requirements of the Popular Consultations in the two States.”

Wealth and Debt Sharing

Other post referendum issues that must be determined by July 9th are wealth sharing agreements, as well as how to split Sudan’s enormous debt burden. According to U.S. Special Envoy to Sudan, Scott Gration, the North will lose 80% of its oil fields and 50% of its oil revenues. Negotiations are ongoing on how divide revenues generated by Sudan’s oil industry, particularly because oil will continue to be exported from the south to the north via pipelines. The parties must also determine how to split the $39 billion debt burden, most of which is in arrears.

While the referendum vote went surprisingly smoothly the world must keep its eyes on Sudan as two new nations are born on July 9th. Over the last six years, the two parties have made little progress on these issues, hopefully they will be able to be more efficient with the five months between now and July.

Tags: , , , , ,
Posted in Referendum | No Comments »

« Older Entries
Donate Now to the Save Darfur Coalition

Twitter Feed

 Subscribe in a reader