SPLM Secretary General Pagan Amum visits Unity State to campaign for independence
The SPLM -Secretary General Pagan Amum Akech visited Unity State on Monday 3 January 2011 to urge local citizens to prepare for Sunday\’s referendum on Southern independence. Amum, who is also the Government of Southern Sudan\’s Minister for Peace and CPA Implementation, told the Unity State\’s population to vote wisely since it took a long time for the North to accept the possibility of an independent Southern state.
Any challenges should be pursued through peaceful dialogues.
SPLM -Secretary General Pagan Amum Akech
Speaking to a crowd of supporters at Bentiu stadium, he added that the struggle of the South began during colonial rule in Sudan, and that the rights of black people in the South had since been neglected. Amum however called upon the State authorities to cooperate, and said any challenges should be pursued through peaceful dialogues.
At the event Bill Charaow Kuel, a leading member of the National Congress Party (NCP) of Unity State branch, handed over a list of names of 750 NCP members defecting to the SPLM. The list of names was received by Unity State SPLM Deputy Chairperson Samuel Lony Geng during the welcoming ceremony of Amum. Kuel said from the 3rd January 2011 onwards, he will be working hand-in-hand with the SPLM to make the Southern independence successful.
State Governor Lt. General Taban Deng Gai urged the citizens of Unity State to make sure they all know what to do in the coming days of voting. He said Unity State is leading the South in referendum registration turn-out among the ten states of South. He urged people to take pride and to vote for separation.