The people of Southern Sudan regard January's referendum as their first genuine opportunity to exert their right to self-determination, as enshrined in the 1945 UN Charter and underlined in the 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war between North and South.
Below are some key milestones on the road to this referendum:
Pre-1946: The British and Egyptian governments administer South and North Sudan as separate and distinct regions.
1946: The South and North are merged into one administrative region by the British government. The Southerners are not consulted about the decision and have concerns about being subsumed by the larger and more powerful North.
1954: Southern Sudanese politicians formally call for a greater role in their own governance, failing which they reserve the right to self-determination.
August 1955: Months before independence, there is a mutiny in the Southern town of Torit. By the early 1960s this develops into a full-scale rebellion and what became known as Sudan's first civil war, Anyanya I.
1 January 1956: Sudan gains its independence from Egypt and Britain.
1962: Civil war intensifies in the mainly Christian region of the South.
27 February 1972: An agreement is signed in Addis Ababa to end the war and grant self-governance to the South.
1978: Oil is discovered in Bentiu, Southern Sudan. This becomes a significant factor in relations between North and South.
1983: Sharia Islamic law is introduced by President Jaafar Nimeiri. Tensions in the South lead to the creation of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army (SPLM/A). Civil war resumes (as Anyanya II) in the South between government forces and the SPLA, led by John Garang.
30 June 1989: Lt. General Omar al-Bashir leads a bloodless military coup and the Revolution of National Salvation takes power. Bashir subsequently cracks down on the rebellion in the South.
1993: Al-Bashir appoints himself president of Sudan and the Revolution Command Council is dissolved.
1999: Sudan starts exporting oil.
December 2000: Al-Bashir is re-elected president. All the main opposition parties boycott the elections.
20 July 2002: The Machakos Protocol is signed by the Sudanese government and the SPLM/A, outlining the general terms of a peace settlement.
27 July 2002: Al-Bashir and Garang meet for the first time since the war started.
October 2002: A landmark ceasefire agreement is reached between the government and the SPLA, but hostilities continue.
9 January 2005: Signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which includes a permanent ceasefire and stipulations on wealth- and power-sharing as well as a provision for the South to hold a self-determination referendum and for the region of Abyei to vote on whether to join the South or retain a special status in the North.
9 July 2005: A new constitution is introduced. Al-Bashir is sworn in as president with Garang as vice-president.
30 July 2005: Garang is killed in a plane crash. Salva Kiir replaces him. Violence erupts in the capital between Southerners and Northerners.
September 2005: Khartoum forms a power-sharing government.
October 2005: The South forms an autonomous government as per the peace agreement. Former rebels dominate the new administration.
April 2008: A national census is conducted in preparation for the upcoming national elections.
October 2009: The Northern and Southern governments agree that turnout for the upcoming referendum will need to be 60 percent for the vote to be accepted. If less, a second referendum will be held within 60 days.
December 2009: Leaders in the North and South say they have agreed the terms of the self-determination referendum in Southern Sudan.
January 2010: Al-Bashir says he will accept the outcome of the referendum even if the South votes for secession.
April 2010: Al-Bashir is elected for a new term as president and Kiir becomes the first elected president of the South.
24 September 2010: World leaders meet at the UN to discuss the possibility of a break-up of Sudan. The UN Security Council asks all sides to ensure a peaceful referendum.
October 2010: A timetable is set for the referendum, due to take place on 9 January 2011.
14 November 2010: The voter registration process begins.
1 December 2010: Voter registration to end.
6 December 2010: The preliminary voter register to be published.
4 January 2010: The final register to be published.
9 January 2011: The Southern Sudan referendum to take place.
Source: http://www.irinnews.org/report.aspx?Reportid=91166
JUBA, 23 November 2010 (IRIN) - A senior UN official has called on leaders in Northern and semi-autonomous Southern Sudan not to incite tension as Southerners register for a January referendum that is likely to lead to secession.
ReplyDeleteSpeaking in Khartoum on 22 November, Benjamin Mkapa, who chairs UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon's Panel on the Referenda* in Sudan, expressed concern about a low turnout of registrants in the North.
"The rhetoric by all parties must also be toned down - I repeat, the rhetoric by all parties must also be toned down - something we warned about during our last visit to Sudan. Only then will the public feel secure enough to turn out to register and to vote, without repercussions, wherever they live," Mkapa told a news conference in the capital.
The former Tanzanian president said he had received reports of Southern leaders "encouraging people not to register and vote outside Southern Sudan". Registration is also taking place in Australia, Canada, the US, UK, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda and Kenya.
Mkapa attributed the "extremely low turnout" in the North to the fact that "many Southern Sudanese appear uninterested or unwilling to register", not least because of a "lack of public information about the process", as well as long distances to registration centres.
"Outside the country, we received some disturbing reports of intimidation and threats against both International Organization for Migration workers staffing the voter registration centres and Southern Sudanese attempting to register. We urge the parties to help ensure that everyone who wants to register can do so without fear," said Mkapa.
In Juba, the capital of Southern Sudan, which has had a semi-autonomous status with its own government since the 2005 accord to end decades of civil war, mistrust was evident.
"You cannot rule out a last-minute attempt by the North to disrupt the process," said one observer, asking not to be identified. "Already there are people in Khartoum who are pointing fingers at those perceived to have given away the South."
There have been some shortages of materials in the registration process, which began on 15 November and ends on 1 December, according to sources in Juba. There was also a boycott in some villages in Eastern Equatoria, a reduced number of women registering in Rumbek state, and claims that some staff had not been paid.
"Each centre has 10 percent more materials to cover emergencies," Achier Deng Akol, head of operations at the Southern Sudan Referendum Bureau, said. "Where materials have run out, we have sent more, but these are isolated cases."
Speaking at a news conference, he added: "We appeal to our people who used to walk during the struggle [civil war] to bear with us and walk to the centres... those people boycotting because of previous political differences are not doing the country any good."
ReplyDeleteRaising awareness
Samuel Machiar Riek, the bureau's head of public outreach, conceded that "public awareness is not adequate yet" but said a media committee had been set up to improve voter education across Southern Sudan.
Underfunding has been another problem, according to the Enough Project, a Washington DC-based advocacy organization, which reported that the governments in Khartoum and Juba had only released US$179 million of the $370 million required by the bureau.
"Without the necessary funding, preparation for the referendum, including voter education and the hiring, training, and deployment of staff, will likely continue to be insufficient, with potentially serious ramifications for the conduct of the referendum," it warned.
But Lorna Merekaje, secretary-general of the Sudan Domestic Election Monitoring and Observation Programme (SuDEMOP) said registration in the South had generally gone well.
"The process started late, but five days into it, it is peaceful and calm," she told IRIN. "The problems that had been reported were isolated," she added. Her organization has deployed hundreds of observers.
"Overall, SuDEMOP specialized observers have not reported major incidents of violence or security lapses during the first week of registration, with the notable exception of the aerial bombing that occurred in Aweil North," SuDEMOP said in a report issued on 21 November. Southern Sudanese officials have accepted that the incident was a genuine mistake by the North's air force, which was apparently targeting Darfur rebels.
Daily influx
The referendum has led to a large movement of people from the North to the South. In Unity State, for example, about 1,000 people have been arriving daily since the beginning of November, according to aid workers.
"We have made contingency plans for all flashpoints," said Giovanni Bosco, head of the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Southern Sudan. "We are prepositioning stocks and preparing for possible movements of people."
Good harvests are expected in the South, according to USAID's Famine Early Warning System Network. But in its November outlook, it warned that "should significant post-referendum insecurity occur, the resulting displacement and market disruption could drive needs to an unprecedented level".
On the streets of Juba, excitement is high. Many residents told IRIN they were looking forward to the vote, which they expected to lead to secession. On 20 November, churches organized processions through the town, marking a day of prayer for the referendum.
"2.5 million lives paid for our freedom," proclaims a poster at the John Garang mausoleum in central Juba. "Our heroes and heroines did not die in vain."
*A separate referendum is scheduled in January for Abyei to determine whether the flashpoint borderland territory joins Southern Sudan or retains its special status in the North. The ramifications of serious delays in this referendum's preparation will be the subject of a forthcoming IRIN article.
Elfatih A.Abdeldaim
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS THE TIME TO RESPECT THE WILL AND DETERMINATION OF SOUTHERN SUDANESE AND TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THEY DO HAVE A FREEDOM TO CHOOSE ,ASSURED BY A SIGNED AGREEMENT BY THE TWO PARTIES .WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW IN NORTH SUDAN IS ANOTHER BLOW O THE FACE OF DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS BY THE DICTATORSHIP OF ALBASHIR AND HIS ISLAMIST ALLIES- IT IS TIME TO LET GO AND STOP CRYING OVER THE SPILT MILK AS THEY ARE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FRAGMENTATION OF THE COUNTRY
Elfatih A.Abdeldaim
ReplyDeleteTHIS IS THE TIME TO RESPECT THE WILL AND DETERMINATION OF SOUTHERN SUDANESE AND TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION THAT THEY DO HAVE A FREEDOM TO CHOOSE ,ASSURED BY A SIGNED AGREEMENT BY THE TWO PARTIES .WHAT IS HAPPENING NOW IN NORTH SUDAN IS ANOTHER BLOW O THE FACE OF DEMOCRACY AND HUMAN RIGHTS BY THE DICTATORSHIP OF ALBASHIR AND HIS ISLAMIST ALLIES- IT IS TIME TO LET GO AND STOP CRYING OVER THE SPILT MILK AS THEY ARE THE ONES RESPONSIBLE FOR THE FRAGMENTATION OF THE COUNTRY.
Dear Alfatih.. I guess the whole issue has nothing to do with us as Sudanese..!! It just happens that a complex geopolitical game had chosen our country as its adequate playground..!!
ReplyDeleteNot the ailing regime of Albashir, neither our rotten political establishment, neither our greedy lobbyists, neither our confused graduates nor our commons have any say or deed in making or breaking Sudan..!!
It is not only an indirect consequences of Middle Eastern conflict, but also the fragmentation of Sudan is part of 1985 strategy called USEA or United States of East Africa.. yet our supposed political memories had been proven shallow to recall such critical concept..
Anyway, as how US$ 2.4 billion lost among Southern politician since 2007, no wonder that the whole country will be lost too..!! No one cares about our people, global players or local clowns..!! Therefore, spending millions to falsely decorate the funny referendum.. Democracy among ailing poor illiterate is alike racing among blind handicapped..!!
Should each of us hold tight his own wonderful memories of the Sudan..!
Ibrahim Musa
ReplyDeleteyes Dearest Adil, some "Corporates" on the background are orchestrating our political theater... both parties are fearing losing their roles however. all of them [our political parties and the Corporates], are confusing us [ the audiences] including those whom you described as "confused graduates". we just have to wait for ALLAH's miracle to re-unite again and avoid the repeated Korean showhttp://cnn.com/video/?%2Fvideo%2Fworld%2F2010%2F11%2F23%2Fgrant.koreas.military.fire.cnn
Elfatih A.Abdeldaim
ReplyDeleteDear Adil and Musa Kulu sana waintu taybeen.To be honest I am sick and tired of us always referring to external conspiracies and outside enemies.They say and -excuse my language - " never shit where you eat", unfortunately successive Sudane...se governments always did it and now there is shit all over the place and it is getting messy. Conspiracies always existed ,what you are saying about geopolitical game is a theory,in scientific terms theories need to be empirically supported with data and evidence.Up to this moment we have no evidence what soever about external hands ,however there is enough evidence in simple numerical terms: 2.5 million people dead in the south, millions displaced ,household ,villages and cities bombarded and destroyed .Darfur is another example.So dear Adil ,I am afraid it all has to do with us Sudanese .It is our fanatics ,common, illiterate etc who went to the streets shouting war and Jihad slogan,many in Khartoum sang the songs of martyr and supported the process. Once in a life time let us all stop this business of pointing to others and take the responsibility of our deeds -IT IS AN ARABO-ISLAMIC PROJECT they wanted to carry out and that is the consequences of it.
Millions lost in the South or corruption let that be the South's business ,let us talk about our corruption and clean around our own houses up north now.The south is not different from any other third world country where corruption is a routine practice and it will be.In summary there is no confusion about this issue ,the confusion is regarding denial and arrogant attitude and I do dare go further to say racism, homophobia ,ignorance , intolerance and religious fundamentalism in various shapes and sizes - it is just we don't confess to the fact -we think we are different, immune and right .A final note : democracy is the only way out and can only be learned by doing it even if we look like you have said racing among blinds ,otherwise we will stay blinds forever.Take care and I hope my words are not taken to be offensive by all mean this is not my intention ,just I hope a friendly exchange of opinion and an expression of frustration.
People believe in existence of "Jin"; yet there is no such scientific empirical evidence on them, apart from the epistemic foundations.. Same applies to international politics, which certainly keep their plan off shelves, otherwise there would be no winner..!!
ReplyDeleteYes, many keep repeating the same, but does not necessarily means that all are false or funny to believe.. it is up to your own data and referrals to accept or reject what reaches your eyes and ears.. This is where the confusion started, as various contradicting approaches had handled the same phenomenon..
Despite the scarifies and losses, it is truly said that our political mind-set was created from the blues, with almost no "blood" was poured for our name as a nation.. Our history was manipulated since day one.. Our realization was deliberately out of focus.. and our future was never the serious case study for any political party or group.. 25 years ago, I remember me quitting political life when disagreed on what is the true demand of the people in rural communities, not the fantasy of the urban lavishness.. It is an old case of schizophrenic status that all political minds would go through, when challenged between "me & Others".. It is why we have time bombs in every household from Halfa to Nimoly awaiting below or defuse.. Regretfully, there are almost no credible sociologists in Sudan to advise..!!
I do not believe in the Westminster Democracy; which was established on bloody conflict between the top authorities, and had been refined through the centuries.. it was not ours, and would never be..
Then, questions leading to hell are open for discussions...
Be Blessed..
Elfatih A.Abdeldaim
ReplyDeleteAdil ,I don't seem to get around your argument.To me it sounds as if we don't have any choice in life and Sudanese's fate and politicians are like a puppet manipulated by external powers.Just like they wake us up ,hand everyone a gun and sa...y go to Jihad .You seem to talk about everything ,but not causalities and killings in South and Darfur .Come on Adil you are a clever guy than this .On the other hand ,people can choose to believe in JIN,many other millions don't ,that is not the issue .Iam not trying to debate our belief system,which does require a through revisiting and filtering .it is about day to day choices in everyday politics ,and this is where you have to justfy your actions and provide evidence and not just leave things to explanation like geopolitical games.I would say again we need to stop pointing out and look in the mirror ,that require self-criticism and courage which the Sudanese people lack.
Dear Alfatih… I actually had assumed that we shall read the same hide-out among words and letters; which are:
ReplyDelete1. Always in international politics there are key players, players and manipulated ones; despite all nice talk about equality, huma...nity and integration.. It is not shameful to have small role or even no role, yet dangerously shameful to imagine a bigger one.. (So, who we are??)
2. Bell syndrome tells what roles and by whom; which defeats any idealistic democratic claims even in the UK.. These are widely abused not only in Sudan but across all merging nations in the 3rd world.. (BTW: what is the 2nd??)
3. National politician are either to preserve their own benefits or forcibly step down for the common good; which might to be freezing political equilibrium (Radicalism had already vanished)
4. Causalities are relative issue to overall cultural mode, hardly to sustain political case or master plan, therefore are not given as input in any serious political formula.. It sounds inhumane, but stills reality unless magnified for political gains.. (29 miners in NZ interrupt all news, while 435 in Cambodia went forgotten in couple of hours..)
5. Building a national political culture was historically missed, due to multiple reasons, mostly locally run by shortsighted politicians.. (This includes tribal leaders and Arifes of Khalwahs..!)
6. The question that never asked, nor imagined.. Shall the Northern Sudanese subjects have “Preferences” in the Southern Sudan State, and vs versa..?? (They will emerge as an oil producing country from day one.. Should they imitate the GCC laws..!!)
It was energetic debating with you…
May God be with our homeland...
ReplyDeleteHi Adil,
ReplyDeleteHow are you doing..such a long time I didn't visit this blog. Continue writing, take care.
Baizura