Sudan’s Kiir calls on Southerners to choose independence

October 31, 2009 (JUBA) – The First Vice President of Sudan and the president of South Sudan Salva Kiir today urged Southerners to vote for independence in the 2011 referendum.
Speaking at a Cathedral in South Sudan capital of Juba Kiir said that the choice the people of the South make will determine their status as citizens.
“You want to vote for unity so that you will become a second class in your own country, that is your choice,” said Kiir, speaking at Saint Teresa’s Catholic Cathedral.
This is the first time Kiir make such remarks though he has hinted in the past that secession is inevitable.
“If you would want to vote for independence so that you are a free person in your independent state, that will be your own choice. We will respect the choice of the people” he added.
Sudan’s longest two-decade civil war ended in a 2005 peace agreement that included a provision for a 2011 referendum for the southerners to choose if they wanted to remain in the country.
During a visit to Cairo this week, GoSS resident said that the South will be forced to succeed from the north in an upcoming referendum because North has intentionally failed to make unity attractive.
He also accused the government of failing to implement fully the peace agreement including the demarcation of the oil-rich border region between the north and the south.
The peace agreement is plagued with distrust between the two sides and has repeatedly threatened to unravel, bringing to the two sides to the brink of war.
Sudan is scheduled to conduct parliamentary and presidential elections in April 2010 as the first national elections that include South Sudan in four decades as well as the referendum.
These elections are seen as crucial for keeping peace but disputes in recent past have arisen between the two parties over referendum law and census results, which are the basis for drawing election constituencies. They also disagree over the rules for carrying out the referendum.
In Monday’s statement Kiir refused to postpone both the election and the referendum.
(ST)