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Sudan Tribune

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Popular consultation in Blue Nile State reveals calls for autonomy

January 23, 2011 (NAIROBI) – The process of popular consultation in Sudan’s north-south border state of Blue Nile has entered its ninth day amid reports of public dissatisfaction and calls to accord the area autonomous rule inside north Sudan, heightening fears that Sudan could see future breakaways following the near-certain secession of south Sudan.

Headquarters of the Parliamentary Commission of Popular Consultation in Al-Damazin town, provincial capital of the Blue Nile State (Al-Jazzera net)
Headquarters of the Parliamentary Commission of Popular Consultation in Al-Damazin town, provincial capital of the Blue Nile State (Al-Jazzera net)
The 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), which ended nearly two-decades of civil war between north and south Sudan, includes a protocol on the resolution of the conflict in the Blue Nile and South Kordofan, both of which lies on the un-demarcated and volatile north-south border.

The protocol provides for the conduct of “popular consultations” in the two states in order to assess the CPA and subsequently redress any shortfalls in its implementation as a final settlement to the conflict in the areas which were previously war zones, with many from the areas siding with the south, during the years of the conflict.

However, the process does not entail any right to self-determination to the two areas which will remain inside north Sudan, unlike south Sudan which is set to gain full independence as a result of a referendum vote that took place between 9 and 15 January.

Malik Aggar, the Blue Nile governor and a senior member of the SPLM, which controls south Sudan, has listed the choice of autonomous rule in the confidential ballot paper which he cast on Saturday at a polling station in his hometown in Bau locality, Sudan Tribune has learned.

The process is taking place at 46 polling centers and is organized by an Assessment and Evaluation Commission formed by the state’s legislative assembly in which the majority of seats are held by the National Congress Party who govern north Sudan.

As stipulated in the CPA, the commission will submit its report to the federal government, which in turn will form another committee to conduct similar consultations in the two areas.

In light of the two reports, the federal government will decide whether or not there are any shortcomings in the deal to be rectified.

Meanwhile, a local official has reported that the vote is enjoying a high-turnout by local citizens who expressed dissatisfactions with the CPA.

Mamoun Hamad, an SPLM MP in the Blue Nile’s Legislative Council, told reporters on Saturday that the polling stations were witnessing high turnout amid the presence of the consultation commission members and international observers.

According to Hamad, the majority of citizens had said that the CPA failed to fulfill their aspiration.

He also claimed that military had recently amassed 2,000 soldiers in the state.

The popular consultation was supposed to take place by the fourth year of the CPA implementation (2009/10), but it has been delayed for a year due to delay in the elections.

In south Kordofan, the popular consultation may have to wait longer because elections had not been held there due to disagreements between the SPLM and the NCP over results of the population census and delimitation of geographical constituencies.

(ST)

4 Comments

  • Bol Deng
    Bol Deng

    Popular consultation in Blue Nile State reveals calls for autonomy
    South Kordufan and Blue Nile must choose their political atmosphere properly. The South Sudan want them in the South through their rights. We know that there are differences within the two states and this is why it was hard during the implementation of CPA so that the two will be given right of self-determination like the South. But the South Sudan want the two states including Abyei to join the South.

    Reply
  • zol aweer
    zol aweer

    Popular consultation in Blue Nile State reveals calls for autonomy
    Aaah here we start again with Blue Nile demanding autonomy as option. That is great ideas from indigenous people of Blue Nile, really there is no way you can unite with those devils in North while we fought against them bitterly.Nuba Mountains must also take the same path to enjoy their aspiration as well.
    We are almost to the climax period of our struggle !!!

    Reply
  • Paul Ongee
    Paul Ongee

    Popular consultation in Blue Nile State reveals calls for autonomy
    Besides Nuba Mountains, the political destiny of Blue Nile State lies in the CPA not the intransigent mentality of Khartoum. Popular Consultation for the two States is essentially included in the CPA because they are victims of political and economic marginalization orchestrated by Khartoum and its succesive regimes since 1956.

    For Abyei, it’s a gone case. Abyei was and will still be part and parcel of Southern Sudan no matter how Khartoum struggles to twist the historical facts. Instead of implementing CPA, concluding “popular consultation” for the two states and forming the Abyei referendum commission (ARC) peacefully, Khartoum engages in fighting for recognition of Messeriya’s rights to vote in the Abyei referendum without considering when did Messeriya become Southerners by nature or birth?

    Self-determination is the only way for all marginalized areas of Sudan – East or West. Khartoum is already given a choice to make since May 16, 1983. What I know and confident Wadi Halfa is the last stop of the freedom fight based on equality, justice and progress not giving a room for religious bigotry in Khartoum again.

    Paul Ongee
    Khartoum, Sudan

    Reply
  • Yousef Nagar
    Yousef Nagar

    Popular consultation in Blue Nile State reveals calls for autonomy
    Dear Citizens of Blue Nile State, I want you people to vote wise on Popular Consultation to earn your right don’t let the (NCP) pull you around like a little child, open your eyes people, make the right decission at this time don’t fail your people, we need to go with the South Sudan now!!!!!!!!! Blue Nile oyeeeee, Malik Agar OyEEEEEEEEE.

    Reply
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