Fears Grow over Referendum

Tensions are rising in Southern Sudan over the further delay of registration for the referendum on secession which is supposed to be held on January 9th. The registration which was supposed to take place in late October has now been delayed three weeks until the 15th of November. Observers are starting to worry about the possiblilty of conflict restarting if southerners feel that Khartoum is attempting to delay or disrupt the vote in Southern Sudan, which is oil rich but one of the least developed regions in the world.

The referendum was promised as part of the peace deal which was signed in 2005 but it now looks like the North are trying to sabotage the referendum by delaying it and therefore stirring up passions in the South. It is feared that the delay in registration is part of a ploy by President Omar Bashir's government to delay the vote indefinitely. He hopes that by doing so it will lead to protests that could make any result in the referendum void and not recognised internationally or cause the referendum to be forgotten.

Despite insistence that Khartoum will accept the outcome of the referendum many international observers are doubtful.