Thank you, Mr. Chair. I want to thank our witnesses, especially those from far away, for joining us today.
Mr. Bobiash, I think it's fair to say that, with regard to Sudan, it's a huge task. I appreciate the hopeful tone in your message. I also appreciate the fact that Canada is making a difference in that region.
The last time the witnesses were here, I brought up certain issues that I had concerns about, and I still have a few, given what you said. I understand that the peace dividend actually didn't get out into the regions very well. We've talked about that before. I was concerned about that.
You were talking about, now that the referendum is taking place, what is going to happen around development. You brought up that there are significant challenges there in the south. I know there are in the north, too, especially with regard to women's groups and others.
In my time in Sudan I have seen that expectations are raised just because people are able to vote and have a referendum. However, the CPA also raised their expectations significantly, but they did not see much of a payoff from it in the outlying regions. In many of those regions, a lot of the conflict and other things have taken place.
As a result of this referendum, expectations are going to be raised significantly again, and people are going to expect a referendum dividend from that as well.
Is it your sense that the capacities are in place so that when that takes place, the regions out there--and I'm not talking about Juba--in which so many of the challenges around development and other things are found, will have the systems and the networks in place to be able to keep those things from breaking apart, if indeed the resources don't get through?