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Sudan Presidentâs Visit to Juba Seen as 'Good Gesture'

   Peter Clottey 03 January 2011
   Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Khartoum, 20 Dec 2010

Photo: REUTERS

   Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, Khartoum, 20 Dec 2010

   South  Sudanâs  envoy  to  the  United  States  and United Nations has
   welcomed  as a positive gesture Tuesdayâs scheduled visit of President
   Omar Hassan al-Bashir to the region ahead of Sundayâs referendum.

   Ezekiel  Lol  Gatkuoth,  who  is  also  a member of the Sudan Peopleâs
   Liberation  Movementâs  (SPLM) ruling council, told VOA the referendum
   will receive a significant boost if President Bashir publicly declares
   he will accept the outcome of the vote.

   âThis good gesture that President Bashir has started is welcome and we
   are  so excited about it. We, in the government of southern Sudan, and
   also  the  SPLM  and southern Sudanese in general are very happy about
   this,â said Gatkuoth.

   âHe  (Mr.  Bashir) has been making statements recently that he will be
   the  one to recognize the new state, if the people of south Sudan vote
   for  separation.  Now,  for  him  to go to Juba, to be received by all
   southern  Sudanese  and  also declaring it in front of them, that will
   set  the tone and re-open a new page. That will actually build bridges
   between north and south that has been lacking for many years.â

   Mr.  Bashirâs  visit  comes  after  a  top  official of the referendum
   commission  announced  the  organization is â100 percent preparedâ for
   the referendum.

   Chan Reec, a leading member of the commission, said Monday that nearly
   4-million people are registered to vote.  Reec said the vast majority
   of  voters  are  southern  residents  with small percentages living in
   northern Sudan or abroad.
   He  said  the  distribution of ballots is almost complete and that the
   election  will  go forward despite an absence of promised funding from
   Sudan's national government.

   Gatkuoth  said  southern  Sudanese want to hear reassurances about the
   referendum from President Bashir.

   He also dismissed suggestions that President Bashir will be blamed for
   the  countryâs  split  if  the outcome of the referendum is separation
   rather than the countryâs unity.

   âHistorically,  southern  Sudanese have been fighting for independence
   of  the south. And the only party which came out openly to endorse and
   give  southern  Sudanese  the  right to choose and decide their future
   through  referendum  is  the  National  Congress Party (NCP) under the
   leadership of (Mr.) Bashir,â said Gatkuoth.

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