Chanting crowds greeted UN Security Council envoys on Wednesday in south Sudan which wants to become the world’s newest nation while international leaders highlighted the risk of renewed conflict.
Even Hollywood star George Clooney is in South Sudan talking about his fears of “war” ahead of the Jan. 9 referendum on whether it should break away from the Khartoum-controlled north.
A UN Security Council delegation is in Sudan to reinforce its message that the referendum must be held on time and in peaceful conditions.
Preparations for dual votes in South Sudan and the small oil-rich region of Abyei are way behind schedule. The Sudanese government’s announcement that voter registration would start on Nov. 14 failed to dispel fears that the referenda would be held up.
Thousands of children and adults lined the streets of the South Sudan capital, Juba, for the arrival of the UN ambassadors as they started a four-day trip to highlight the importance of the vote.
“The Referendum Must Be Held On Time,” said banners held up by the crowds, who chanted songs, while some beat out rhythms on the ground with spears.
Ambassadors from Britain, China, France, Russia, the US and 10 other Security Council nations were warmly greeted by Sudanese Vice President Salva Kiir, who is also the leader of the administration that wants to break away.
Diplomats predict the vote will back a split. Kiir has called the vote date “sacrosanct” and warned of the risk of conflict if it is delayed.
The UN ambassadors say their message on this mission is to make sure that the Jan. 9 vote is held on-time, peacefully and produces a credible result.
The referenda in South Sudan and Abyei are part of a 2005 accord which ended two decades of civil war in which about 2 million people died.
The UN ambassadors arrived from Uganda where they held talks with Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni, who pledged support for efforts to make sure the vote is peaceful.
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