By Nangayi Guyson – South Sudan vote has hit 60% turnout needed in the first three days of the week-long vote which began on Sunday to pass the referendum on secession from the north, the south’s ruling party and ex-rebel group says. “The 60% threshold has been achieved basing on polling center reports, but we are asking for a 100% (turnout),” the SPLM’s Anne Itto said not not giving exact figures. Ms Itto said people have stopped asking each other “how are you?” as a greeting and instead are asking “have you voted?”, AP news agency reports. The poll was... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Wednesday, January 12th 2011 |
By Nangayi Guyson – Juba – World leaders called for calm after a deadly ambush by Misseriya Arab tribesmen which killed 10 south Sudanese civilians and wounded 18 near the border as they were returning from the north for the independence vote., said southern internal affairs minister Gier Chuang. “A convoy of returnees coming from the north to the south were ambushed yesterday (Monday) at about 17:00 (14:00 GMT) by armed Misseriya. Ten were killed and 18 were wounded,” Chuang told a news conference in the southern regional capital Juba. Despite the killings, the landmark independence referendum has shown a... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Wednesday, January 12th 2011 |
By Nangayi Guyson – US President Barack Obama has welcomed the good start of a landmark referendum vote on independence in Southern Sudan. Mr Obama said in a statement that “After 50 years of civil wars that have killed two million people and turned millions more into refugees this is the opportunity before the people of Southern Sudan.” He added that the action of Sudanese leaders would help determine whether Sudanese people move “toward peace and prosperity, or slide backward into bloodshed”. The voting started on Sunday and is expected to take a full week to give results on whether... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Monday, January 10th 2011 |
By Nangayi Guyson – Sudan President Omar al-Bashir told al-Jazeera TV that Southern Sudan will face instability if it votes to secede from the north in a forthcoming referendum saying it did not have the ability to create a stable state or provide for its citizens. In an interview with the Arabic news channel al-Jazeera, Mr Bashir said he understood why many southerners wanted independence, but he expressed concern at how the new nation would cope. “The south suffers from many problems,” he said. “It’s been at war since 1959. The south does not have the ability to provide for... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Saturday, January 8th 2011 |
By Nangayi Guyson – Juba – South Sudan’s information minister Dr Barnaba Marial Benjamin has welcomed reassurances by the Sudanese president that he will respect Sunday’s referendum on southern independence. He told BBC that , he was pleased with President Omar al-Bashir acceptance of the referendum. He said the vote will allow the people of South Sudan to decide their own future for the first time since 1898. On his final visit to the south before the referendum, Mr Bashir said that he would be sad to see Sudan split in two. But he added he would be happy if... Continue Reading
Publish Date: Wednesday, January 5th 2011 |
