(SV)

The Chief of National Security and Intelligence Organ, Engineer Mohamed Atta Almawla affirmed the partners to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA),

Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and National Congress Party (NCP) have a political will that will enable them to hold free and fair referendum despite underlying difficulties.

During a discussion session on challenges facing referendum process and the role that the National Security and Intelligence Organ should play in ensuring its fairness and transparency with participation of officers of the organ and south Sudan states’ security directors, Ata said the organ bears national responsibility toward the referendum.

According to Sudanese Media Centre (SMC), he added that the security organ is duty bound to protect the constitution and enforce the law. He hoped that the forthcoming referendum would transparently and fairly express the opinion of our people in south Sudan despite underlying complications.

Ata said however, there was a strong will on both sides to arrive at free and fair referendum. He further stated that securing referendum was aimed at averting return to war again in event of secession or unity taking place.

Presidential Advisor, Lieut. Gen. Engineer Salah Abdallah Mohamed, leader with NCP, said that the peace agreement set two basic axes: to achieve peace, and to ensure the unity of the country. “It is necessary to achieve such goals,’’ Mohamed said and added that if unity is not achieved, all should work for a lasting peace.

He said the issue of Abyei has stalled relations between the two partners over the last period because its settlement was incomplete, but he affirmed that NCP is prepared for new negotiations to ensure implementation of CPA.

Dr. Luka Biong, the Minister of Cabinet Affairs, stressed the two partners’ keenness on transparency and independence with regard to holding the referendum.

“The SPLM will not accept the referendum to be an excuse for return to war,’’ Biong stressed, adding that oil and waters are key to relations between the north and south.

He said the challenges of unity are great that the two partners as well as the Sudanese people have to face; besides the overall issues of the agreement; especially with regard to demarcation of borders and resolving the remaining issues of the agreement.

Biong commended the National Security and Intelligence Organ, adding that sovereignty of the country lies in the institutions of such organ.

The Chief of National Security and Intelligence, Mohamed Ata Almawla had hosted the dialogue last Tuesday in south Sudan, where challenges facing the forthcoming referendum and the role that the security organ should play were debated; in addition to holding the referendum on set date, in accordance with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

The session was aimed at briefing on what’s going on in the committees of the two partners to discuss the existing obstacles and the role of the organ in referendum process in order to contribute to solving problems facing the two partners.

Similarly the role led by the organ in overcoming difficulties between the two partners during the dispute over Abyei issue and SPLM’s withdrawal from the government, where the organ had played and effective role in bridging views among parties was cited.

The meeting was attended by a number of security leaders and south Sudan states’ security directors, who contributed to the discussion.

The participants presented a set of suggestions for ensuring the effectiveness of the National Security Organ in securing the referendum process.

Among the participants in the dialogue were Lieut. Gen. Salah Abdallah Mohamed, Presidential Advisor, Dr. Luka Biong, Minister of Cabinet Affairs, Badria Suleiman, member of NCP leadership office.