South Sudan Info » referendum

Issues facing Sudan’s North – South Border on the Eve of Partition

widge — Wed, 06 Jul 2011 03:29:33 +0000

[Montréal, Québec, Canada 26°C] In just 4 days, the Republic of South Sudan will be born, six and a half years into the post-war interim period after the end of a 21-year civil. The self-determination referendum results gave overwhelming support for independence and on July 9, 2011, when the world’s 186th nation will be born. Partition will not be easy due to multiple unresolved issues. Perhaps the most important and thorniest issue may be the border itself, which has yet to be fully agreed upon by both the Government of South Sudan (GoSS) and Omar al-Bashir’s NCP-dominated Government of Sudan.

(source: Map No. 3707 Rev. 10, UNITED NATIONS, Department of Peacekeeping Operations Cartographic Section, April 2007)

I decided to look through my reference library to select articles and reports that address issues relating to the border that will divide the Republic of Sudan from the new Republic of South Sudan. If you know of any others to add to the collection, please contact me.

Selected Reports:

- (July 1, 2011) Beyond The Pledge: International Engagement After Sudan’s Comprehensive Peace Agreement by Aegis Trust, African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies, African Peace Forum, African Research and Resource Forum, Agency for Independent Media, Al-Khatim Adlan Center for Enlightenment and Human Development, Arab Coalition for Darfur, Cairo Institute for Human Rights Studies, Community Empowerment and Progress Organisation (Sudan), Darfur Consortium, Darfur Relief and Documentation Centre, ENOUGH, Genocide Intervention Network / Save Darfur Coalition, Global Centre for the Responsibility to Protect, Global Witness, ICCO, International Federation for Human Rights (FIDH ), International Refugee Rights Initiative, Kenya Human Rights Commission, Sudan Democracy First Group, Sudanese Network for Democratic Elections, Waging Peace (download pdf 904KB).

- (June 26, 2011) Sudan Report by Sicuro Information (download pdf 6364KB).

- (June 15, 2011) Sudan: The Crisis in Darfur and the Status of the North-South Peace Agreement by Ted Dagne US Congressional Research Service (download pdf 888KB).

- (June 2011) Peace in Both Sudans by Enough Project, Humanity United, Investors Against Genocide, et al (download pdf 196KB).

- (May 2011) Abyei: From a Shared Past to a Contested Future, Policy and Practice Brief by the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes (download pdf 2.6MB).

- (April , 2011) Abyei, Sudan’s West Bank by Enough Project, (download pdf 408KB).

- (Feb 22, 2011) South Sudan’s Referendum: Geopolitical and Geostrategic Implications an ISS Seminar Report (download pdf 120KB).

- (2010) When Boundaries Become Borders: the impact of boundary making in Southern Sudan’s frontier zones by Douglas H. Johnson The Rift Valley Institute (download pdf 1.8MB).

- (2010) The Kafia Kingi Enclave: people, politics and history in the North – South boundary zone of western Sudan by Edward Thomas, The Rift Valley Institute (download pdf 3.6MB).

- (Nov 23, 2010) Negotiating Sudan’s North-South Future, Africa Briefing No.76 by International Crisis Group (download pdf 1.8MB).

- (October 2010) Race Against Time: The countdown to the referenda in Southern Sudan and Abyei by Aly Verjee at the Rift Valley Institute (download pdf 1.3MB).

- (September 2010) More Than a Line: Sudan’s North – South Border by Concordia International (download pdf 2.5MB).

- (July 2, 2010) Sudan: Defining the North-South Border, Africa Briefing #75 by International Crisis Group (download pdf 1.3MB).

- (Mar 16, 2010) Preparing for Two Sudans by Maggie Fick at the Enough Project (download pdf 400KB).

- (Aug 2009) Scenarios for Sudan: avoiding political violence through 2011, Special Report 228 by United States Institute of Peace (download pdf 572KB).

Abyei crisis points to hostile division of Sudan, despite new agreement

Guest Contributor — Wed, 29 Jun 2011 17:36:14 +0000

by Richan Ochi, courtesy SudanVotes

Southern Sudanese President Salva Kiir and President Omar al-Bashir have agreed to accept the presence of 4,200 Ethiopian peacekeeping troops, under supervision of the African Union.

Tensions could resurface in Abyei, despite an agreement reached in the Ethiopian capital. © UN Photo / Stuart Price (courtesy: SudanVotes)

The mission’s mandate is to observe the security conditions in Abyei until a referendum to determine the region’s future status is held.

he negotiations in Addis Ababa, the Ethiopian capital, were facilitated by former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who currently chairs the African Union’s implementation panel for Sudan (AUP); and U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton.

Ethiopian Prime Minister Meles Zinawi and Burundi’s former president, Pierre Buyoya, were also on hand for the talks on Abyei, which remains an open wound in a landscape whose disputed borders appear like scars on the map of Sudan. Both north and south claim the oil-rich region belongs on their side of the divide.

Nafie Ali Nafie, President al-Bashir’s assistant, said the Sudanese Armed Forces (SAF) would withdraw from Abyei when Ethiopian troops arrive, but that the presence of the SAF in the region was a national duty to prevent the Sudan People’s Liberation Army (SPLA) from expanding into the north.

Philip Aguer

SPLA spokesman Philip Aguer has accused Khartoum of “waging war” on the premise that it can control the region militarily and claim Abyei as its own when the south becomes independent on 9 July.

Under AUP auspices, the two parties would continue discussing the new proposals, with the SPLM possibly offering some amendments. Ms. Clinton has emphasised the retreat of the SAF from Abyei with the presence of neutral forces in the region.

A vote to decide whether Abyei should be part of north or south Sudan was a provision of the 2005 peace agreement. It was supposed to take place in January, at the same time Southern Sudanese voted to secede, but issues over voting rights mired the referendum in controversy, and it was subsequently shelved.

Observers say Khartoum’s intransigence on Abyei leaves many questioning the likelihood of friendly relations with Juba after the south secedes, despite the agreement reached by Kiir and al-Bashir.

Some Sudan watchers fear war is inevitable, pointing to Khartoum’s aim to open a second front in the region to destabilise the world’s newest nation. The northern government’s tendency to favour military solutions over peaceful alternatives, they say, could escalate the conflict between north and south Sudan, which will become two separate nations in less than two weeks.

Legal escalation

The people of Abyei who belong to the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) plan to press charges against Khartoum at the International Criminal Court (ICC), claiming they have documents proving the SAF committed crimes against civilians in the region.

Thousands of families were forced to flee Abyei for nearby villages, where they now live in the open air despite heavy seasonal rains. According to the UN, over 60,000 people have been displaced.

U.S. President Barack Obama had urged the Khartoum government to halt military operations in the region and to stop violence against civilians.

“The leaders of north and south Sudan should live up to their responsibilities,” he said in a message. “The Khartoum government must prevent a further escalation.”

The UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (UNOCHA) expressed concerns after the SAF escalated its air strikes in the region, and reported “growing fear among some displaced people who have found themselves trapped by ongoing violence.”

Strategic retreat

The SPLM believes that Khartoum’s withdrawal of its army from Abyei is a tactical decision aimed at sending forces to Southern Kordofan to support soldiers fighting there.

“Clashes have broken out between SPLA and SAF near Bahr al-Arab when a SAF patrol tried to trespass on a GoSS area,” said SPLM spokesman Philip Aguer.

Tension in the oil-rich region escalated after an attack on a convoy of northern troops who were being escorted out of Abyei by UN soldiers, which was blamed on an SPLM soldier. Khartoum responded by seizing the region and expelling the local administration. Tens of thousands fled after widespread fighting.

Ayman Nour Addin, a political analyst, views the agreement to meet in Addis Ababa “hypocrisy” after refusing to have any previous dialogue about the Abyei crisis, saying it was only “so that each party could hold the other responsible” for the situation.

On the other hand, “If there is a real political will and desire,” he said, “such talks may lead to a decisive solution to close this file once and for all.”

(original article at SudanVotes)

Southern Sudan Referendum Results & report from Bentiu, Unity State: Podcast

widge — Wed, 09 Feb 2011 04:12:22 +0000

[Montréal, Québec, Canada -12°C] Yesterday, February 7, 2011, official final results from the self-determination referendum were released by the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission and the Southern Sudan Referendum Bureau, with the details outlined on the Southern Sudan Referendum 2011 graphic below:

(source: Southern Sudan Referendum Commission & Southern Sudan Referendum Bureau)

As expected, a near unanimous choice for independence was cast by the more than 3.8 million voters who voted 98.83% for secession. The Governments of Sudan and Southern Sudan now have until July 9 — when the declaration of independence is scheduled — to negotiate through a series of unresolved issues.

On January 27, I spoke with Bonifacio Taban Kuich, a reporter based in the Southern Sudanese town of Bentiu in the heart of oil the producing region of Unity State. His reporting can be read at the Sudan Tribune as well as on Voice of America. He tells us about the situation in Unity state: the return of over 100,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) from Khartoum and elsewhere; the military buildup of SAF and SPLA troops in the border regions; the reactions to the referendum results of northern merchants living in the south and of southern oil workers; and other issues affecting Unity State.

The following audio report podcast taken from the interview was aired Wednesday, February 2 during weekly the African Issues show, Amandla on Montréal’s CKUT Radio 90.3 FM.

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Unresolved Issues between Northern & Southern Sudan: Podcast

widge — Sun, 16 Jan 2011 23:03:31 +0000

[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.

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PODCAST

Maps Help Understand Regional Differences During Sudan Referendum

widge — Mon, 10 Jan 2011 20:00:52 +0000

[Montréal, Québec, Canada -9°C] As Southern Sudanese vote during the second day of the week long self-determination referendum to determine whether or not southern Sudan becomes Africa’s newest independent country, maps help understand the differences between the north and the south other than the most often used and limited descriptions: “mostly Arab and Muslim north vs mostly black and Christian/Animist south.” Maps can display complex information that is easily understood, allowing for comparisons between regions and rapid analysis.

Below are a few maps from various sources, pilfered from the BBC and elsewhere that display information about Sudan’s physical geography, ethnic group distribution, infant mortality rates, access to water & sanitation facilities, education rates, food consumption percentages, location of oil production infrastructure, language diversity and religions practiced. They are recent additions to my Mapping Sudan page that I share with you here.

Satellite Image Map

(Source: NASA)

Ethnic Group Distribution

(Source: Dr. M. Isady, http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/maps.shtml)

Distribution of Religion

(Source: Dr. M. Isady, http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/maps.shtml)

Languages in Sudan

(Source: Dr. M. Isady, http://gulf2000.columbia.edu/maps.shtml)

Infant Mortality Rates

(Source: Sudan Household Health Survey, 2006)

Percentage Using ‘Improved’ Water & Sanitation

(Source: Sudan Household Health Survey, 2006)

Percentage of Children Who Completed Primary School

(Source: Sudan Household Health Survey, 2006)

Percentage Households with ‘Poor’ Food Consumption

(Source: Sudan Household Health Survey, 2006)

Oil Infrastructure in Sudan

(source: Drilling Info International)

Pre-referendum Information About Southern Sudan

widge — Wed, 05 Jan 2011 18:46:26 +0000

[Montréal, Québec, Canada -5°C] There are only four days remaining until Southern Sudan’s January 9 self-determination referendum begins its 7 days of voting. According to a Sudan Tribune article posted on AllAfrica, a total of 3.9 million people have registered to vote. Numbers released by the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) a few days ago divide the figures into registrations in the south: 3.7 million, in the north: 116,000, and 60,000 in the diaspora: Australia, Canada, Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, the UK and the USA. During the latest cencus, there is an estimated population of 8 million Southern Sudanese. For the referendum to be legimitate, 60% of registered voters need to participate in the vote.

As I follow events in Southern Sudan and add articles to my headlines timeline, people continually ask me basic questions about Sudan. Below I’ve included a few videos that have recently been posted online. They should provide a descent background for those wanting to learn more as Southern Sudanese are set to what is generally believed to choose to create Africa’s newest independent country.

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Sudan: History of a Broken Land

As the people of southern Sudan prepare to vote in a referendum that may see them secede from the North, Al Jazeera maps the turbulent history of a country on the verge of a momentous decision.

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Crossroads Sudan: Sudan’s path to development

Al Jazeera looks at the economic challenges Sudan will be facing after a possible secession of the South.

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Sudan Referendum

On Sunday, Southern Sudan will begin a week-long referendum on whether to break off from Sudan and form a new independent state. The vote is being held under the 2005 peace agreement that ended a nearly four-decade civil war between the North and South that killed some 2.5 million Sudanese. The people of South Sudan are widely expected to approve secession, and the vote has stoked fears of renewed violence in Africa’s largest nation. by Democracy Now

Sudan 2010 Year in Review Before January 9 Referendum

widge — Fri, 31 Dec 2010 20:40:33 +0000

[Montréal, Québec, Canada 4°C] In 9 days, southern Sudanese are heading to the polls in a self-determination referendem to decide whether or not to establish Africa’s newest independent country. Last year was a landmark year, the last in the CPA’s six-year interim period which leads to the January 9, 2011 referendum.

Below is a Sudan headlines year-in-review 2010 taken from this site’s Event Timeline. To get more detail about each of the events listed below, visit the Event Timeline and go to the appropriate date:

Civic educators train before launching voter awareness activities in Kakuma refugee camp (Enough - Laura Heaton)

2010 Sudan Headlines

Jan 11: Archbishop of Sudan Daniel Deng said Beijing, which imported $6.3 billion (3.9 billion pounds) of Sudanese crude oil in 2008, should try to help bring together parties at loggerheads over the full implementation of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, including the delivery of credible elections, scheduled for April 2010.

Jan 12: Sudan leader Omar al-Bashir is officially nominated to stand for president in April’s election by his northern National Congress Party (NCP)

Jan 16: Sudan electoral board warns Salva Kiir to resign from his military position

Jan 22: South Sudan’s Arrow Boys youth form defence against LRA

Jan 23: South Kordofan SPLM say to boycott vote in oil state

Jan 26: Southern Sudan Anti-Corruption Commission launches new strategy

Jan 27: Bashir to back Salva Kiir for south Sudan presidency; Candidate registration deadline for Sudan’s April 2010 elections

Feb 13: Election Campaigning Begins

Mar 5: Kiir forms a caretaker South Sudan government after cabinet shuffle

Mar 10: South Sudan election candidate complains of arrests

Mar 27: WFP destroys 45 tons of maize flour in Ezo County

Mar 29: South Sudan arrests, beats 7 opposition members: SPLM-DC

April 4: Confusion rules as Sudan’s elections loom

April 6: SPLM to boycott all elections in most of north Sudan

April 7: Sudan Journalists Lament Lack of Civic Education in Upcoming Polls

April 9: Electoral Campaigning Ends

April 11: Election polling begins

April 12: Sudanese in Ethiopia voting for country’s presidency seat

April 13: For Sudanese dissidents, path to peace is social media

April 14: Attack on 3 polling centers in South Kordofan State

April 15: Fraud charges on final day of Darfur election

April 16: Sudan begins counting in polls marred by boycotts; SPLM files complaint with NEC over election irregularities; Demands thorough investigation

April 17: International election monitors say Sudan vote ‘failed’ to meet global standards

April 18: Election polling ends

April 19: US faults Sudan election but says will work with victors; Ballot box retrieval begins in Upper Nile

April 20: China Praises Sudan’s Elections as ‘Smooth, Orderly’

April 25: Election results announced; Clash on south Sudan boundary with Darfur ‘kills 55′

April 26: Janjaweed leader wins parliament seat in Sudan

April 27: National Election Results – Another Step Along Uncertain Road

May 4: South Sudan Official Denies Split in SPLM Ranks Following Attack on Military Base

May 10: Carter Center Reports Widespread Irregularities in Country’s Vote Tabulation and Strongly Urges Steps to Increase Transparency

June 9: 6 Months to the Referendum

Aug 27: Concerns Over Sudanese IDP Relocation Plan

Sept 12: Norwegian group forms task force for oil committee in Unity State

Sept 19: NCP rejects ICC’s participation in UN discussions on Sudan

Sept 30: New militia “Arrow Boys” rises in South Sudan to protect against LRA; EU weighs in on South Sudan secession

Oct 15: Sudan Abyei vote deadline ‘impossible’: north

Oct 19: Southern Students Calls for Relocation of Universities Before Referendum

Oct 20: Sudan’s Bashir Vows No Renewal of Civil War

Oct 21: Chinese Companies Among Bidders for Juba-Lamu Oil Pipeline

Oct 23: US dangles relations carrot for Sudan to hold January big vote

Oct 27: Sudan’s SPLM and NCP close to deal on citizenship and security: Pagan

Oct 28: Dinka Ngok leaders meet Mbeki, reject proposals on Abyei

Oct 29: Hundreds of southern Sudanese head south to vote in historic referendum for secession

Oct 30: Sudan foreign minister says no need to deploy UN troops on north-south borders

Nov 3: US renews Sudan economic sanctions

Nov 4: SPLM rejects confederation proposals, says NCP behaving like “Somali pirates” over Abyei

Nov 5: Materials for Southern Sudan Self-Determination Referendum Delivered

Nov 6: Sudan talks get under way in Ethiopia

Nov 8: US Offers to Drop Sudan from Terrorism List; UNMIS Helicopters Deliver Electoral Materials to Remote Parts of Sudan

Nov 9: Resource clashes, pre-poll tensions drive Sudan refugees to Kenya – UNHCR

Nov 10: Sudan jams UN radio’s MirayaFM website

Nov 13: North Sudan Accidentally Bombs South

Nov 15: Voter Registration Begins in Sudan; Southern Sudanese in United States Prepare for Voter Registration for Southern Sudan January Referendum November 15-December 1

Nov 16: Security Council Meets to Discuss Sudan Prior to January 2011 Referenda

Nov 17: Unrest in Nuba Mountains ahead of S. Sudan referendum

Nov 18: China Divorcing North For S.Sudan

Nov 20: Merchants fearing violence begin to leave Southern Sudan; Sudanese in Kenya register for referendum

Nov 23: Voting complications for South Sudanese diaspora

Nov 26: Abyei: Bashir and Kiir set for talks over delayed referendum

Nov 27: Igad talks fail to unlock south Sudan referendum stalemate

Dec 16: UN And Carter Center Say Registration Process Was Credible

Dec 17: WikiLeaks cables: Sudanese president ‘stashed $9bn in UK banks’

Dec 21: South Sudan soldiers killed in fighting with rebels

Dec 23: Sudan takes 70 pct of pipeline ahead of asset split

Dec 29: George Clooney and Google launch satellite plan to avert Sudan violence

Dec 30: Sudan’s president threatens end to Darfur talks; Sudan recalls Darfur negotiators

Southern Sudan Referendum Rules for Out-of-Country Registration & Voting

widge — Mon, 15 Nov 2010 15:45:19 +0000

[Montréal, Québec, Canada 10°C] Registration for Southern Sudan’s self-determination referendum begins today and continues until December 1, 2010. According to the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) website, registration and voting centers have been established in 8 countries “with the largest numbers of Southern Sudanese living outside Sudan.” The countries are Australia, Canada (Toronto and Calgary), Egypt, Ethiopia, Kenya, Uganda, the United Kingdom (UK) and the United States of America (USA). The International Organization for Migration (IOM) will be assisting the SSRC at its request in organizing the OCV.”

To be eligible to participate in the January 9, 2011 referendum, voters must meet one of three criteria as established by the SSRC: 1) Voter who belongs to one of the indigenous ethnic communities residing in the Southern Sudan (on or before January 1956; 2) Voter who traces his/her ancestry to one of the indigenous ethnic communities in Southern Sudan, but has not permanently resided in the south (without interruption) before or since Jan 1956; and 3) voter who does not belong to one of the indigenous ethnic communities in the Southern Sudan, but he/she or his/her parents or grand-parents are permanently residing in the South (without interruption) since 1st January 1956.

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Below are two video interviews by Ariic Reng, Canadian Outreach Assistant with the International Organization for Migration:

Interview with Dr. Mom Kou Nhial Arou, Assistant Secretary General, Southern Sudan Referendum Commission

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Interview with Gatdeet Wakou, Canadian Representative, Southern Sudan Referendum Commission

Radio Miraya journalist arrested in Yei, Sudan

widge — Sat, 13 Nov 2010 22:36:21 +0000

by Akim Mugisa courtesy SudanVotes

(Harassed - Isaac Moro of Myraya FM, courtesy SudanVotes)

As the Referendum approaches it is a busy time for Sudan’s media houses – and a tense time with many political interests at stake. Miraya FM journalist Isaac Moro, while working in Yei, was wrongly mistaken for Khartoum Government spy, and arrested.

A senior radio journalist working with Foundation Hirondelle and United Nations co-sponsored Miraya 101 FM radio, Moro Isaac Lokombu was arrested and harassed by the Military Police in Yei on allegations of being a spy for the Khartoum Government on Saturday, November 13.

Lokombu was on assignment to cover the start of the 2011 referendum voter registration at Yei Freedom Square when he was stopped by a uniformed police officer and taken to a nearby Military Police post. The antenna of his VHF radio set was broken in the process, as the officers confiscated his UNMIS and Miraya FM identification cards and a writing pad. His explanation of being a journalist fell on deaf ears as the officers continued to label him a Khartoum spy.

According to Lokombu, the UNMIS Civil Affairs Officer in Yei, Kogo Manase, whom he had called to guarantee his identity, was also rejected by Military Police officers on the grounds that he did not look Sudanese. However, about one hour later, after consultations among themselves, the officers ordered the journalist and Manase to leave but cautioned Lokombu that he had been identified as a spy.

(David Lokonga Moses, the Commissioner for Yei River County, courtesy SudanVotes)

The matter was reported to the Commissioner for Yei River County, David Lokonga Moses, who called for the immediate arrest of Police and Military officers involved in the harassment. In a brief interview, Lokonga, who chairs the County Security Committee, described the incident as unfortunate, adding that the responsible officer would be disciplined for his behavior. He attributed such cases to the illiteracy of some officers in security organs. The Commissioner pledged security for all journalists, citing the key role they play in disseminating information to the masses, especially during the ongoing referendum process.

On a telephone line from Juba, Brig. Gen. Malaak Ayuen Ajok, the SPLA deputy Spokesman condemned arresting people without legal justification. He praised the action taken by the County Commissioner, adding that it would serve as a lesson to army personnel, as they are not above the law.

The incident comes hardly three weeks after Malaak, who doubles as Head of Information and Public Relations, challenged security operatives to read and understand the Constitution and other legal frameworks, in order to execute their roles without inconveniencing people they are supposed to serve.

He was speaking during a two day Media /Security dialogue organized by Community Education Action Programme (CEAP) in Yei to establish mutual understanding and good relations between journalists and security personnel. The dialogue had been organized in preparation for referendum coverage following a number of cases of harassment, torture and detention of journalists in Southern Sudan during the April general elections.

(Bonifacio, working in Bentiu FM studios, courtesy SudanVotes)

Sudanvotes’ Bonifacio Taban Kuich was among those unlucky journalists, as he was arrested, beaten and detained for thirteen days, before being released without charge. In April 2010, he was arrested at Bentiu hospital where he had gone to talk to victims of the clashes that erupted after the declaration of the Governorship election results.

(original article at SudanVotes)

The Waiting Room: Sudan at a crossroad

widge — Mon, 20 Sep 2010 22:05:21 +0000

[Montréal, Québec, Canada 18°C] Sudan is indeed at a crossroad. On January 9, 2011, Southern Sudanese are expected to participate in a self-determination referendum that will determine whether the South will separate from the rest of Sudan and become Africa’s newest independent country. No small feat for a population that was at war for over 21 years.

The Comprehensive Peace Agreement brought the war to an end on January 9, 2005 and provided for a six-year interim period, during which time the Khartoum government and the former rebels would learn to get along. This included boundary demarcation, power sharing structures, an equitable wealth distribution, along with other provisions.

If the former rebel Sudan Peoples Liberation Movement and the NCP-dominated central government could not overcome their distrust and establish power structures to adequately share Sudan’s resources, then at the end of the interim period the Southern semi-autonomous government could hold an independence referendum. And that’s exactly what the South is preparing to do.

Filmmaker, journalist and development worker, Alexandra Sicotte-Lévesque, worked for almost 3 years in Sudan, in media and development with the BBC World Service Trust and the United Nations peacekeeping mission. She is seeking support to make a film with co-producers, Yanick Létourneau (Periphéria), Alessandro Pavone. According to their KickStarter webpage, the film, The Waiting Room,

follows young people ranging from the ages of 8 to 30 whom all live in Khartoum, and are each confronted with a unique quest. Their journeys take us between North and South Sudan. For the first time a film gives a voice to Sudanese youth from different origins, Muslims and Christians. The Waiting Room is an intimate portrait of a society that remains unknown to most and misunderstood by many. It addresses contemporary issues of identity and religion which continue to shape the world we live in.

Getting funding for a documentary film is not particularly easy in Canada these days. These filmmakers are using crowd-sourcing application, KickStarter, to raise enough funds to finish shooting the film in December before the referendum date. View some of the footage they have already taken. If the preview is any indication, Director of Photography, Katerine Giguère, has already shot gorgeous images that capture the beauty of the people, letting us put aside for a moment the nastiness of the politics in the country. If they manage to get enough funding, it promises to be a film that captures an intimate element of Sudan that is not covered in the media and that can only be seen either by visiting the country of by viewing a film like the one they propose.

I fell in love with the Southern Sudanese during my seven-week visit and all I think about is returning. Considering I’ve only been to Southern Sudan and know nothing about Khartoum, I find this project particularly interesting. Realities in Sudan’s capital city are quite different from those in Juba. I’m curious to learn what displaced southerners living in Khartoum think of the referendum, its probable outcome and I wonder if they will participate at the ballot box.

I encourage everyone, who can, to support this film project because Sudan’s story is as complex as it is interesting. Unfortunately, supporters like myself who don’t own a credit card, cannot support the project using PayPal. Luckily for me though, they are based in my hometown of Montréal, so I can actually meet with them and offer my support in person.