WUNRN
SUDAN REFERENDUM - VOTE IN SOUTH on
UNITED or DIVIDED COUNTRY
WOMEN OF SUDAN HOPE FOR PEACE
Video - Stand with Southern Sudan
Women:
What
is the 2011
During
When
and where is the referendum?
Scheduled
to take place January 9, 2011, the referendum will take place in the south and
will allow southern Sudanese to decide if they want to remain part of a united
What
does the referendum mean for the people of
The referendum
process has already been fraught with threats of violence and renewed conflict
as North and South remain suspicious of one another, fearing that the other
side is trying to derail the process
Tension
between the two regions is expected, as the referendum has several substantial
implications:
Mass Displacement — If the South votes for
separation—which observers believe it will—both sides must come to agreement
about how to treat northern Sudanese living in the south and vice versa, as
well as the country’s nomadic groups who travel between the two regions. It is
estimated that about 1.5 million southern Sudanese live in the north—all of
whom have been threatened with expulsion if the south votes for independence.
Oil Crisis —
Fear of Violence — If the vote is seen as
unfair, forced or is unpopular with militia groups, there is a major concern
that violence could erupt between the two countries, resulting in a return to
civil war.
Why
is the referendum important?
In
addition to fulfilling the terms of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement, the vote
is a democratic means of conflict resolution that will allow southern Sudanese
to feel their voices are heard without the destruction, loss and violence of
civil war. A peaceful and credible election would be a necessary and important
symbol of the possibility for true peace following decades of violence and
fear. For the women of
How
will the vote affect Women for Women International-Sudan?
It
remains to be seen how the referendum will affect our programs in southern