Government of Southern Sudan Mission to the USA and the UN

Press Statement

Date: August 2, 2010

In less than six months, Southern Sudan will vote in a referendum on whether to remain part of Sudan or to become an independent nation.  The critical region of Abyei will also vote simultaneously in a referendum and decide if they want to remain in the North or become part of the South.  Although the North and South agreed five years ago, in an internationally recognized agreement, that these referenda would take place, in recent months Khartoum, through the National Congress Party (NCP), has done all it could to delay them by refusing to engage in good faith on determining their modalities.