A statement by the European Union'sforeign policy chief on Sudan's unity is generating unease in the SudanPeople's Liberation Movement (SPLM).
Javier Solana said shortly after holdingdiscussions with Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak that he favors a unitedSudan.
But the SPLM said Solana'sstatement undermines the 2005 ComprehensivePeace Agreement which ended over two decades of civil war between the north andSouth.
Under the agreement, the south has a six-year transitional periodof autonomy and takes part in a unity governmentuntil the scheduled 2011 referendum todetermine whether to be independent or remain part of the north.
Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth,head of Southern Sudan's mission to the United States said that Solana's statement was ill-advised.
"Thestatement is not in line with the CPA spirit because in the CPA one of theoptions is united Sudan and another option is separation of the south to be anindependent state. So, yes all of us have agreed that we are going to makeunity attractive to the southerners so that they can vote for unity in 2011.But if the unity is not attractive to them at all, then they also have anotheroption, which is separation,"
Hedescribed as unfortunate Solana's pronouncement about Sudan's unity.
"Itwill not be wise for one person or individual to say that this is the onlyoption that the people of Southern Sudan should explore? we want to say to theEU that in the CPA there are two options," he said.
SPLM-DC was createdand financed by the National Congress Party, (NCP) to destroy theimplementation of the CPA as well as deny Southern Sudanese self-determination.
But the NCP has denied the allegations.
LamAkol who is a known traitor to the people of Southern Sudan? his actions are notnew to us?SPLM-DC is nothing more than the National Congress Party itself,"
Lam Akol. TheFriendship Hall that they are having the conference in is the building of theNCP? even for you to secure it to have a convention in it the NCP (has) toapprove it. It is very strange for any political party to have this hall if youare not in line with the NCP," he said.
Meanwhile, the U.S specialenvoy for Sudan, Scott Gration recently traveled to the Southern Sudanesecapital, Juba to monitor a bilateral action plan between the SPLM and the NCPwhich is intended to complete implementation of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.