By Mabior Philip, Correspondent
Parliament – Juba, (Borglobe) — The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement and its peace partner, the National Congress Party, are near to strike a deal on the fate of southerners in the north and northerners in the south after the referendum, particularly in the event that the south secedes and establish an independent nation.
Speaking at the ongoing Governors’ Forum on Tuesday evening, the Secretary General of the south’s ruling SPLM said the clusters from both parties discussing citizenship after the plebiscite have agreed on a general frame and are waiting to ink the final agreement.
“Discussions on citizenship have progressed and we are at the stage of developing a general agreement that covers all the categories of our people with out prejudice to developing specific agreements like movement of employees and payment of pensions”, Pagan Amum said.
Citizenship, security and currency as well as international treaties are among the issues that the Referendum Act 2009, compatible with the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, required to be discussed as post referendum arrangements.
On security arrangements, Pagan said the concerned clusters have also reached a general frame work including the integration of the SPLA and the fate of the Joint Integrated Units (JIUs).
What is remaining in secuity arrangements, he said, is in the two states of Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile in the context of popular consultations that will determine the type of relationship between the two states and the central government.
Another section that needs another round of talks include the fate of Sudan People’s Liberation Army officers, the men and women, who do not belong to the south and on the other hand, the fate of southerners who are still working in the Sudan Armed Forces in the event of secession.