[Montréal, Québec, Canada -8°C] On the third day of referendum voting by the Southern Sudanese, to decide whether or not they want independence for the southern region of Africa’s largest country, issues still remain unresolved between the Sudanese NCP government and the semi-autonomous SPLM Government of Southern Sudan.
According to the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission, 3,755,512 voters registered in Southern Sudan, while 116,857 voters registered in Northern Sudan and another 60,219 voters registered in 8 designated out-of-country locations (Australia, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, the UK and the USA.) According to reports like this one, the 60% voter participation threshold was reached on the third day of voting, thereby validating the process.
(Children pose beside a damaged water tanker outside of a school in Abyei, April 2009)
SouthSudanInfo.net’s blogger, David Widgington, spoke with Montréal broadcaster, Gwendolyn Schulman, on the CKUT weekly (Wed. 7-8pm) radio show about African issues, Amandla. In the recording below, Gwen and David discuss the following unresolved issues 1) the border demarcation between north and south, including Abyei; 2) Sharing of oil revenue and infrastructure; 3) the management of the Nile floodwaters; 4) citizenship, right to return and security; 5) repayment of the Sudan national debt.
_____
PODCAST
