Foreign Affairs committee  Yes, thank you. There is a role to be played for Canada, but that has to be post-independence. By the way, quite a number of southerners were educated in Sudan and there are thousands of them. They speak the Arabic language very well indeed. If you speak to them and see them,

Foreign Affairs committee  I think there has to be international pressure. The government in Sudan is weak, by the way; it is not that strong. I know it very well, and they are weak. I think there has to be international pressure, and specifically if the UN comes to the front line with regard to peacekeepi

Foreign Affairs committee  My recommendation is that, yes.

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you. That's an important thing to raise. First of all, the conclusion in the minds of most Sudanese is that the United States' policy, the international policy of the United States in many places or several places, causes havoc. Working in the United Nations and in the fie

Foreign Affairs committee  Correct. Apart from the economic side of these areas, what I know and what I hear is that there are politics. There is a lot of politics between the government and the SPLM regarding concessions to be made, especially with regard to the government and the United States. The Unite

Foreign Affairs committee  It's a small thing, actually. On the issue of the shortage of food, some Sudanese are suffering from a shortage of food, and land is sold for economic reasons for the government. In the north, also, life is very difficult, despite the fact that it's an agricultural country. Lands

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you. On the question on the borders specifically, that part is still unclear. It is related to Abyei area and the other borders. The information I have is that there is a postponement. Of course the arbitration court has an opinion on that. There was supposed to be a comm

Foreign Affairs committee  Sorry, could you repeat the question?

Foreign Affairs committee  Absolutely, that's a major thing. I say that because it's important to know that if you meet two people from the south, one of them is more likely to be Ugandan. But you could say I'm a Nuer, I'm a Dinka, I'm a Shilluk, and so on. That's a big problem, actually, because there is

Foreign Affairs committee  I have just one word to say. Frankly speaking, the government in Sudan is actually not eager for unity. I'm telling you this very, very clearly. The government in Sudan is relaxed, even if the south separates; therefore, they are not keen to harass people to vote for unity or s

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you very much. For the first question with regard to the Sudanese people trying to intimidate or win over the southerners in the north, I would like to state something very important. The peace agreement was made by the regime in Sudan, not by the Sudanese people. The Sud

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you. I think the situation in Juba or in the south right now, even after the secession that is going to happen, is just like Karzai's government in Kabul, because Karzai has no authority outside of Kabul. Right now the government in Juba, outside Juba, with the differences

Foreign Affairs committee  Okay. I will wrap up. There are various expectations for post-referendum. People speak about war. The boundaries are also one of the problems, the debts, the southern Sudanese in the north, and vice versa, the northern Sudanese in the south, and Abyei is a hot spot. Of course,

Foreign Affairs committee  Thank you, Mr. Chairman, for this opportunity to address the members of the standing committee of the House of Commons. My thanks also go to Ms. Christine Vincent, for she was the link between me and this respected committee. I have the pleasure to say that this is my second