From: Berhane Habtemariam (Berhane.Habtemariam@gmx.de)
Date: Fri May 21 2010 - 09:51:16 EDT
<http://allafrica.com/sudan/> Sudan: Struggle for Oil May Derail
Referendum, Warns Church Leader
Fredrick Nzwili
21 May 2010
_____
Nairobi - A senior Sudan church official says political parties in the
country must agree on the sharing of oil wealth to minimise border tensions
between the divided north and south of Africa's biggest country.
The Rev. Ramadan Chan Liol, general secretary of the Sudan Council of
Churches, a grouping of Orthodox Protestant and Roman Catholic churches,
said the south's ruling Sudan People's Liberation Movement and the north's
governing National Congress Party must agree on how they will split the oil
wealth, before a 2011 referendum on the possible secession of the south.
"The central government has depended on the oil from the south for its
operations. It will be difficult for it to just let oil go" Chan told
ENInews on 15 May in Nairobi. "Our position as the church is for the parties
concerned to agree on the share of oil revenue in the post-referendum
period. This will minimize the tensions."
Sudan is gearing for the 9 January 2011 plebiscite, mandated by the 2005
Comprehensive Peace Agreement. Through it, the partly animist and Christian
south is expected to choose whether to remain part of the united Sudan,
which is dominated by Arabs and Muslims.
Chan, however, says plans for the referendum are behind schedule with only
seven months to go. A referendum law has been passed, but there is no body
yet conduct it.
The SPLM is accusing the NCP of attempting to delay the referendum and warns
that there will be no negotiations. The party's general secretary, Pagan
Amum, cautions, "Any attempts to delay the referendum shall threaten the
enduring peace."
Many in the international community are also urging the country to refocus
on the vote, echoing the churches' concerns that preparations are running
behind schedule.
"The referendum commission has to be appointed by the [Sudanese] national
assembly. They have to be financed, and they have to be given the training."
the U.S. special envoy for Sudan, Scott Graton, was quoted by the Sudan
Tribune newspaper as saying on 13 May. "There has to be better voter
education. There has to be a better system of logistics and procedures,
administration."
Graton said agreements on sharing oil revenues and on the border demarcation
need urgent attention prior to the 2011 referendum.
In an interview in April, Chan had told ENInews that the majority of the
south's people felt exploited. He said that injustices and an imbalance of
resources had persisted for too long time and that free political
participation had never been granted.
"Since they have not succeeded breaking through, an opportunity should be
given for a separate south Sudan, where the people will be part of the
system and part of their country," he said.
Religion and oil were blamed for the 21-year Sudanese civil war in which
nearly two million people died. It ended five years ago with the signing of
the CPA in Nairobi.
<http://allafrica.com/view/group/main/main/id/00011351.html> Economy Hinges
on Sudan's Referendum Outcome
* <http://allafrica.com/stories/201005200747.html> ANALYSIS - Sudan:
South Faces Key Issues If It Votes for Independence
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