Referendum in Sudan

Southern Sudan's independence referendum has been held up by international donors who have not transferred their money to the organizing body. Al Jazeera's Haru Mutasa described the what she believed to be the feelings of the international community as follows: "A lot of people in the international community feel that perhaps Sudan is not ready to hold this referendum. Some feel it's been too rushed. They feel a lot of things on the ground aren't actually prepared. There are still issues that people are bickering over. There's issues of border demarcation, issues of citizenship, issues of how to share the oil wealth. And of course the threat of violence that people are afraid could happen if the process isn't handled properly." Registration to vote starts Monday. Clashes are still happening between the north and south in the Sudan region. The head of the joint UN-African Union Mission, Ibrahim Gambari said that his organization as well as the United Nations Mission in Sudan already have contingency plans in case of further clashes before the election in January. The US development agency is budgeted to give $50m to aid in the referendum, but according to the minister for international development, only Sudanese government should pay to the commission. International partners are more focused on giving finished goods and services.

http://english.aljazeera.net/news/africa/2010/11/201011150111520274.html

Submitted By: Erin Burneson