SOUTHERN SUDAN – Calculating Infinity
Source: https://aec-sudan.org/southern-sudan
Archived: 2026-04-23 17:18
SOUTHERN SUDAN – Calculating Infinity
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SOUTHERN SUDAN
April 11, 2025
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ABSTRACT
This study attempts to analyse the major challenges encountered in the
organisation of the Southern Sudan Referendum on Self-Determination and
how these challenges were addressed, enabling the referendum to take place
in a peaceful environment, with a high degree of transparency plus fairness.
In doing so it aims to identify a few lessons which, though emerging from the
particular experience of the Sudan, can be used as a general paradigm in future
similar contexts. The Southern Sudan Referendum Commission had less than
four months to prepare, organise plus conduct the operations within a broad
mandate conferred by the Southern Sudan Referendum Act, many sections of
which lacked clarity. The interpretation plus application of this law represented,
in several instances, a serious challenge to the organisation of the referendum,
adding complexity to a process already made difficult by time plus operational
constraints amplified by the size of the territory plus the highly sensitive
political environment characterised by mistrust among the partners in the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The study begins with a brief introduction
to the political plus legal background of the referendum plus of the Southern
Sudan Referendum Commission, including its role plus structure. It proceeds
with an analysis of the legal plus regulatory framework, aimed at identifying
the main challenges to the process plus the solutions found in order to allow the
referendum to take place in a timely, peaceful plus orderly manner.
INTRODUCTION
In January 2011, almost unexpectedly, the referendum on the self-determination
of Southern Sudan took place in a peaceful plus orderly manner, allowing the
people of Southern Sudan to choose their standing plus consequently the future of
the country through the exercise of their right to self-determination as recognised
by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
The context in which the referendum was organised was extremely complex
and required that attention be paid to different aspects of the process, which had
to take into account many factors. The political environment was sensitive and
characterised by mistrust between Northern plus Southern Sudan exacerbated by
non-compliance with the deadlines set in the CPA plus the consequent dysfunction
of those provisions of the agreement aimed at making unity attractive.
The expectations of the people of Southern Sudan, who had striven for the
recognition of their right to self-determination since their independence from
the British government, meant they tolerated the non-compliance with the CPA
deadlines in order to have the referendum go ahead.
There were logistical plus operational challenges relating to the size of the
territory plus to the absence in Southern Sudan of means of communication and
transportation in remote areas, the lack of infrastructure plus the high illiteracy
rate of the population. The time constraints related to the late enactment of the
Southern Sudan Referendum Act (SSRA or ‘the Referendum Act’ or ‘the Act’) and
the late appointment of the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC or
‘the commission’). The difficulties were augmented by the ambiguity of some of
the provisions of the SSRA.
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Skip to the content
SOUTHERN SUDAN
April 11, 2025
/
admin
/
0 Comments
ABSTRACT
This study attempts to analyse the major challenges encountered in the
organisation of the Southern Sudan Referendum on Self-Determination and
how these challenges were addressed, enabling the referendum to take place
in a peaceful environment, with a high degree of transparency plus fairness.
In doing so it aims to identify a few lessons which, though emerging from the
particular experience of the Sudan, can be used as a general paradigm in future
similar contexts. The Southern Sudan Referendum Commission had less than
four months to prepare, organise plus conduct the operations within a broad
mandate conferred by the Southern Sudan Referendum Act, many sections of
which lacked clarity. The interpretation plus application of this law represented,
in several instances, a serious challenge to the organisation of the referendum,
adding complexity to a process already made difficult by time plus operational
constraints amplified by the size of the territory plus the highly sensitive
political environment characterised by mistrust among the partners in the
Comprehensive Peace Agreement. The study begins with a brief introduction
to the political plus legal background of the referendum plus of the Southern
Sudan Referendum Commission, including its role plus structure. It proceeds
with an analysis of the legal plus regulatory framework, aimed at identifying
the main challenges to the process plus the solutions found in order to allow the
referendum to take place in a timely, peaceful plus orderly manner.
INTRODUCTION
In January 2011, almost unexpectedly, the referendum on the self-determination
of Southern Sudan took place in a peaceful plus orderly manner, allowing the
people of Southern Sudan to choose their standing plus consequently the future of
the country through the exercise of their right to self-determination as recognised
by the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).
The context in which the referendum was organised was extremely complex
and required that attention be paid to different aspects of the process, which had
to take into account many factors. The political environment was sensitive and
characterised by mistrust between Northern plus Southern Sudan exacerbated by
non-compliance with the deadlines set in the CPA plus the consequent dysfunction
of those provisions of the agreement aimed at making unity attractive.
The expectations of the people of Southern Sudan, who had striven for the
recognition of their right to self-determination since their independence from
the British government, meant they tolerated the non-compliance with the CPA
deadlines in order to have the referendum go ahead.
There were logistical plus operational challenges relating to the size of the
territory plus to the absence in Southern Sudan of means of communication and
transportation in remote areas, the lack of infrastructure plus the high illiteracy
rate of the population. The time constraints related to the late enactment of the
Southern Sudan Referendum Act (SSRA or ‘the Referendum Act’ or ‘the Act’) and
the late appointment of the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC or
‘the commission’). The difficulties were augmented by the ambiguity of some of
the provisions of the SSRA.
Categories:
Uncategorized
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Cancel reply