Bashir expresses hope for unity in 2011 referndum, promises Darfur peace

January 3, 2010 (KHARTOUM) – Sudanese President Omer Hassan Al-Bashir, today expressed hope that southern Sudanese will vote for unity in a self-determination referendum scheduled to take place in January next year.
"Days are going towards the holding of elections (…) and will come the date of referendum where (people) have to say their word without pressure. We hope, with determination, that unity would be the fruit of peace and its biggest reward," he said
"We promise you that the peace circle will be complete, God willing, so as to be a really comprehensive peace that will soon be enjoyed by the beloved parts of Darfur and its steadfast and generous people" Bashir said.
http://www.sudantribune.com/spip.php?article33672

Either Bashir lost his mind about Darfur, either US and Chinese lobby is extremely strong. As I said since the beginning, South wants independence but they are more and more the only one. But as long it’s only Bashir who calls for unity, we are far from a unity option in 2011.

I was at a SPLM rally this week end and funny or not, they opened the meeting with the fact that 2010 will be the year of partition. May be, realizing after they had UN guest, they came back to 2010 the year for elections, but local, not national. Those presidential elections look more and more as a complete joke.

Actually the states with more than 100% of voter registered refuse to send their data to Khartoum to the NEC. They are saying they did not well do the census. Yes, right, that is true… But guys: why do you do #### work at the beginning and then look for a pretext to go for war?

Anyway, some candidates are coming, starting by my favorite for the moment
Hassan Tourabi announced he nominated Abdullah Deng Nial as Popular Congress Party. He will run as independent. (AFP news)
Abdullah Deng Nial is from South and is a former John Garang family member… (PCP information)

Let’s go for Rock’n Roll… An extreme extremist candidate and a former Garang family member… Presidential elections will be wild. I love this: a southerner radical Muslim running for united Sudan presidential elections…
I am waiting for what GoSS will come with: a Northerner Christian preaching unilateral declaration of independence for South?

Stan, I'am going on patrol for a week so sorry for not responding immediatly. But interresting question in deed.