Micheál Martin (Cork South Central, Fianna Fail)

The north-south peace process in Sudan is at a critical juncture as the country prepares for a referendum on self-determination for the south and a separate referendum on the status of the district of Abyei on 9 January 2011. The referenda are envisaged by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, CPA, which brought an end to the north-south conflict in Sudan. Ireland and the EU believe that full implementation of the CPA is fundamental to securing peace and stability in Sudan as a whole and in the wider region. This is a position shared by a wide range of countries, including the United States and the member states of the African Union. The three-member panel appointed by UN Secretary General Ban to monitor the referendum visited Sudan in November for the second time for the start of the voter registration and expressed the belief that, notwithstanding the difficulties given the size of Sudan and the scale of the process, voter registration can be completed successfully. For this to happen, leaders from northern and southern Sudan will need to respect the agreement reached and act to curb any acts of violence in the run-up to the election. The security situation is a matter of concern but every effort is being made by the international community to ensure that the referenda take place in a secure environment. The EU and other actors will monitor the security situation closely in the weeks ahead.

The UN continues to play a lead role in co-ordinating international assistance in the electoral preparations to the Sudanese authorities through the UN mission in Sudan. The EU Special Representative to Sudan, Rosalind Marsden, is also playing an active role in encouraging both sides to fulfil their obligations under the CPA. The EU will deploy an election observation mission to Sudan, to cover the voter registration process and the referendum. Preparations for this mission have already begun.

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