Brussels, 07/01/2011 (Agence Europe) - The European Union and the rest of the international community are awaiting with bated breath the referendum on self-determination that starts in the south of Sudan on Sunday 9 January and will run until 15 January. Most analysts expect the south to secede. It contains 70% of Sudan's oil reserves. The poll on the fate of the oil-rich Abyei region on the border between the Muslim north and the Christian south of the country, initially planned for Sunday, has been postponed for fear of a new conflict developing.
Upon request from the South Sudan Committee, the EU is observing the poll proceedings and has paid some €6 million on poll-related matters. At the last meeting of the EU's Foreign Affairs Council under the Belgian Presidency (see EUROPE 10277), EU High Representative for Foreign Affairs and Security Policy Catherine Ashton said the referendum was an important stage in implementation of the overall peace plan of 2005 that ended 22 years of civil war between the north and south of the country. Since November 2010, the EU has been monitoring voter registration, and this is a first in Sudan's history. Some 4 million southern Sudanese voters have registered to vote.
During the entire transition period in the run-up to the referendum, the European Union has repeatedly urged all sides to respect the referendum outcome, whether it is yes or no, and has pointed out that it is prepared to help both north and south of the country after the poll. The promise made on 4 January by the Sudanese president, Omar Al Bashir, to give southern Sudan “all it needs” in the event of partition of the country is promising, but the promise would need to be properly kept. On the Sudan Task Force chaired by Rosalind Marsden, the EU is preparing for all possible scenarios to provide humanitarian and security aid after the referendum. At this stage, it is mainly on the humanitarian front that the EU is expected to intervene. The EU's Policy and Security Committee (COPS) will make an initial analysis of the post-poll situation on 11 January.
The EU's election monitoring mission of 110 observers is headed by Belgian S&D MEP Veronique de Keyser and has been at work since 20 December 2010. The central team of 10 analysts is working in Khartoum and Juba and will coordinate the election monitoring. It will subject a preliminary report and detailed recommendations two days after the referendum. The final report is expected when the process is over. Since the over-arching peace agreement, the EU has earmarked €665 million in development aid for Sudan. More than €779 million in humanitarian aid has been granted the country since 2003. (A.N./transl.fl))