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| Africa Horn |
| Sudan votes hampered by threats, delays, funding -- UN |
| 2010-10-16 |
| [Arab News] Plans for referendums that could split Sudan in two are being hampered by delays, poor funding and a "negatively charged atmosphere" of threats and accusations, a UN panel said on Friday. Sudan is less than three months away from the scheduled start of two votes -- one on whether its south should declare independence and the other on whether the contested oil-rich area of Abyei should join the north or oil-producing south. Both votes were promised in a 2005 peace deal that ended decades of civil war between north and south Sudan. Relations between the former foes have remained deeply troubled and diplomats have warned there is a risk of a return to conflict if either plebiscite is delayed or disrupted. Members of a high-level UN panel on Friday told journalists they were "very concerned" about a lack of progress in preparing for the votes with less than 90 days to go before the official start date of Jan. 9, 2011. "On both sides (north and south) the atmosphere remains negatively charged. Threats and accusations are being made," said former Tanzanian president Benjamin Mkapa, head of the panel UN Secretary-General the ephemeral Ban Ki-moon set up to monitor the referendums. Northern and southern officials have accused each other of building up troops either side of their ill-defined shared border in recent weeks. Mkapa said the commission set up to run the southern independence vote was short of funds and did not have enough money to hire staff or pay for basic equipment and the transportation of election materials. "Funding from both the Government of National Unity and the Government of Southern Sudan is lagging. They must come forward with their share of the funds," he told a press conference. |
| Posted by:Fred |