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| Africa Horn |
| South Sudan lawmakers may vote to secede: official |
| 2010-09-03 |
| [Pak Daily Times] Southern Sudan's parliament may vote to secede from the Khartoum-based north if an independence reference scheduled for January is delayed, a former top Southern Sudan official said on Thursday. The oil-rich region can take such action under the terms of a peace deal signed in 2005 to end the north-south civil war, said John Duku, Southern Sudan's former mission chief to Kenya. The autonomous region does not have an embassy in Kenya but Duku was the equivalent of ambassador until March. He is currently working on Southern Sudan's referendum campaign but is not a member of the government. "The date of January 9, 2011 is written not with words," said Duku, referring to the referendum date. "It is written with the blood of 2.5 million Southern Sudanese who perished during the war." He said that if the referendum is not held as scheduled on January 9, Southern Sudan's parliament would vote to secede the next day. Such a move will be opposed by officials in the north, which could lead to a confrontation, said Duku. |
| Posted by:Fred |