Low turnout for Southern voters in the North
A low turnout, mixed with a sense of great calm characterised the polling centres in Khartoum and Northern Sudan on the first day of voting. This was in contrast to the South - in Juba voting started with long queues and vociferous celebration.
At Mandela Camp polling centre in Khartoum, where 1,007 southern citizens had registered to vote, only 20 voters turned up by midday of the first day of voting. The number of voters reached 23 out of more than 700 registered at Al-Sahafa City polling centre, 185 out of 292 registered at Kober prison and 26 out of 187 registered at Omdurman women\'s prison on 9 January 2011.
\"I am a unionist and will vote for unity, and I expect unity to prevail.\"
The majority of voters interviewed by the Qatari al-Sharq newspaper at the northern polling centres were in favour of unity. Some of them blamed Southern politicians for influencing the people in the South and pressuring them to vote for separation. Sa\'eed Jibrael Ding, a 50 year-old, who spent 37 years of his life in the North said, \"I am a unionist and will vote for unity, and I expect unity to prevail. Separation is only called for by politicians who do not well know the real situation; they are ignorant of what would happen to us if we separated from the north.\" Ding also said that he traveled to the South during 2005-2008 and saw with his own eyes that circumstances there were not suitable for separation. He considers the South to be a \"lawless region\", which has been promised the right to self-determination by CPA, concluded at Naivasha, Kenya. \"The CPA has been exploited by the politicians to promote for separation, unaware of the situation\", he added.
Both the Democratic Unionist Party and Liberation Party declared yesterday to be a day of mourning for unified Sudan, while various voices were calling for unity in the North, with some voters saying they would vote for unity.
Al-Sharq accompanied Yaser Said Arman, SPLM Deputy Secretary General, on visits to a number of quiet polling centres. Arman spoke to al-Sharq inside Omdurman prison about the importance of this day for the Southerners, as a right they acquired through the CPA. He indicated that they would develop a formula for cooperation between the North and the South, based on the principles of equality, justice and public liberties, and aimed at building a new Sudan and creating a regional cooperation which would lead to a new Africa.
Al-Sharq noted the presence of local observers at all polling centres, in addition to a number of international officers monitoring the polling centres, who stated that the one-week period given for the polling process was quite enough to complete the referendum.
\"I am not interested in the referendum or the separation.\"
At Arket polling centre south of Khartoum, al-Sharq met with Peter Dak, 50, from Jonglei State, who showed disinterest in the referendum saying that he did not register in the eligible voters\' list. He added that he had already sent all his family to the South and decided to stay back to pursue his private business in Khartoum, and was not interested in the referendum outcome. \"I am not interested in the referendum or the separation; I will stay in the north regardless of the results because I have my own business here and I want to continue it.\" he said.
On the other hand police corporal Rebecca Charles, from Shilluk tribe, appeared to be concerned about the necessity of unity between the South and the North. She told al-Sharq: \"I work for the Sudan police force and I support my children who are studying at Khartoum universities and schools. I don\'t want to go to the South, lest I would lose my job and source of livelihood. I am not willing to take the risk of sending my family to uncertain circumstances, and end up living under the trees or other squalid conditions. Here we have a decent family life, and I am not ready to risk it for satisfying the programs of certain politicians.” Rebecca was emphatic about not leaving the North, even if the majority of Southerners vote for separation, pinning some hope on unity supporters like herself. I am awfully disturbed about the possibility of separation, because we are settled here and have no place for us there in the South. Our standard of living will certainly be affected if we were to go to the South. That’s why we have opted to stay in the North, irrespective of the referendum outcome. We will not return.” She added.
Al-Sharq earlier reported a large number of Southerners seen sitting on the ground at Mayo city square, south of Khartoum, in addition to big trucks loaded with their furniture and personal belongings, awaiting the return trip southwards. They had expected to leave prior to the referendum, but were held back by delayed trip and had to stay back and wait for departure as soon as possible.
