Sudanese official urges delay of referendum after Mubarak meeting

Oct 19, 2010, 17:26 GMT

Cairo - Sudan's Minister of Defence reiterated Khartoum's position on Tuesday that January's referendum on Sudanese unity and the fate of the oil-rich state of Abyei should not be rushed.

Sudanese state media said Abdel Rahim Mohamed Hussein made the remark following a meeting with Egyptian President Hosny Mubarak, saying that 'border issues and Abyei must be resolved within the framework of one nation.'

He stressed that the vote to decide if the state of Abyei should join the north or south should be delayed.

Mubarak and Hussein discussed Sudan's upcoming referendum, specifically issues regarding borders and internal security, Sudan's state-run news agency reported.

Egypt has kept quiet regarding Sudan's referendum, meeting with leaders from both northern and southern Sudan. But Cairo has expressed reservations about its neighbour rushing the vote.

The issue of border demarcation is key because it will largely decide who controls much of Sudan's oil, but there are still outstanding issues regarding borders, citizenship and water issues.

There is widespread concern that holding a vote to decide Sudan's fate before the details are worked out could prompt a renewal of the country's civil conflict which has claimed over 1 million lives.

A senior official in Sudan's ruling National Congress Party said last week that the Abyei vote could be delayed, after talks between the northern goverment in Khartoum and leaders in the south broke down before resolving important items and details related to the referendum.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir warned earlier this month that going through with the referendum before these issues are resolved could lead to armed conflict between northern and southern Sudan.

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