Southern Political Parties turn down invitation to a meeting in Khartoum to discuss unity

JUBA (Jul 21, 2010) A number of Southern Political Parties on Wednesday turned down an invitation by President Bashir to discuss the unity of Sudan ahead of the 2011 Referendum.
 
The Southern Political Parties voiced their rejection in Juba during ameeting with the Deputy Secretary General of the Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement (SPLM) Cde. Dr. Anne Itto.

The meeting is scheduled to take place in Khartoum on the 24th of this month. According to a spokesperson of one of the parties, Pres. Bashir’s call for  meeting to discuss the unity of Sudan and how to make that unity "attractive" comes a bit too late.

“We the Southern Political Parties believe that the time has run out tomake this unity that the National Congress Parties (NCP) speaks about any more attractive,” said delegate. “As a matter of fact, if anything has been made attractive, then it must be separation!”

Delegates from Southern Political Parties expressed that the policies and demeanor of the NCP-led government in Khartoum towards he South has made their task easier to mobilization people of South Sudan to vote for secession in the 2011 Referendum for Self-Determination.

The only Southern-based party that has not turned down the invitation is the Sudan African National Union (SANU) headed by Dr. Tobi Madut Parek.

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