Observations on Upper Nile State Referendum Result

An overwhelming joy is spreading across the whole Southern Sudan and among Southerners in Northern Sudan and in diaspora, as prelminary results of voting are announced daily. The offical result of Upper Nile State was released yesterday evening with 347,408 turned out to vote out of 352,278 registered voters making 98.61% percentage of voting.

344,718 voted for secession which is 99.23% while only 1,814 voted for unity with 0.52% with the remaining 0.25% representing the unvalid and undecided ballots. This is a clear indicator of the real will of the people of Upper Nile State in general and Chollo in particular as they where targeted with unfounded propaganda of being pro-NCP and automatically supporters of Unity. But if one looked at the Map of Upper Nile State which is the only Southern State that is bordering Northern Sudan in all directions except it’s Southern border, you must come to a conclusion that these are the people that defended Southern land against Northern expansion all through history and for that they paid heavily specially Renk, Manyo, Fashoda, Melut and Maban Counties. Such people cann’t betray the Southern cause in the last minute. Again when only 1,814 only vote for unity compared to like 7237 votes for unity in Western Bahr Elghazal with voters number not reaching half of Upper Nile Voters I think we shouldn’t accept such propaganda anymore. A

t the end I would like to congratulate the entire Southern Sudan population and our Governments (GoN, GoSS, State ), SSRC and our friends in the International Community for achieving this peaceful, orderly and credible referendum that is a real expression of the will of Southern Sudanese People.