Originally posted by the Voice of America.
Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America,
a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in
the public domain.


NGO Official Warns Disputes Could Undermine Sudan Referendum

   Peter Clottey 13 October 2010
   A  Sudanese opposition supporter shouts slogans as protesters wave the
   flag   of   Sudan   People's   Liberation  Movement  (SPLM)  during  a
   demonstration against the government in Khartoum, 07 Dec 2009

Photo: AFP

   A  Sudanese opposition supporter shouts slogans as protesters wave the
   flag   of   Sudan   People's   Liberation  Movement  (SPLM)  during  a
   demonstration against the government in Khartoum, 07 Dec 2009

   An  official  of  the  International  Crisis Group, a non-governmental
   organization  (ICG),  has  warned  that  the  ongoing  accusations and
   counter accusations between the Sudanās ruling National Congress Party
   (NCP) and the Sudan Peopleās Liberation Movement (SPLM) could endanger
   the scheduled 9^th January referendum.

   Foaud  Hikmat,  the ICGās special Sudan advisor, said the NCP and SPLM
   need  to  remember  that  the responsibility of fully implementing the
   2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement rests on both parties.

   āSince  the  inception of the CPA in January 2005, indeed they managed
   to  achieve  a  lot.  And,  in the configuration of the CPA, there are
   certain  mechanisms  that  are  supposed  to  resolve  issues.  (But),
   unfortunately,  before  the elections, and up to now, these mechanisms
   did  not  make  breakthroughs  in  many  issues which necessitated the
   intervention  of  external  bodies, or organs, or countries, to try to
   support the two parties.ā

   Officials  of the SPLM have accused the ruling NCP of not making unity
   attractive to residents in the semi-autonomous south Sudan.

   The  NCP  has  countered  that  the SPLM is flouting the CPA after Mr.
   Salva Kiir, Sudanās first Vice President and President of South Sudan,
   said he will vote for secession.

   Hikmat said mechanisms in the CPA aimed at resolving conflicts seem to
   have  broken  down  forcing  international  guarantors to help resolve
   disagreements between the SPLM and the NCP.

   āLately,  the  U.S. stepped (up) its engagement and tried to bring the
   two parties (together) to resolve the remaining issues. And, since the
   SPLM  always  thought  that the NCP is the one that always impedes the
   implementation  of  the  CPA,  (it)  is  trying to make these external
   actors  to  understand  that  it  is  not  them  that are impeding the
   implementation of the CPA, but it is the NCP.ā

   Hikmat  also  said  President  Omar  Hassan Al-Bashirās ruling NCP has
   accused  the SPLM of not playing its full role as required by the CPA,
   which calls for both parties to work together to make unity attractive
   to residents in south Sudan.

   As  part  of  the  CPA, the residents of south Sudan have less than 80
   days to vote in a referendum to decide whether they want to be part of
   the north or secede and become an independent country.

.