Youth across Southern Sudan have taken to the streets on Friday, 9th July 2010, to mobilize the people of Southern Sudan to vote for secession in the upcoming referendum. The Southern Sudan Youth Forum that organized the event said that such awareness will continue in the region occasionally until referendum takes place next year. Radio Miraya's reporter Alex Nyaro has more of the Story.

Transcript

As referendum for self determination of Southern Sudan approaches, the youth across the region have taken upon themselves to sensitize the Southern population about the referenda.
On Friday, despite the heavy rain in the morning, thousand of youth mobilized by the Southern Sudan Youth Forum in Juba and Women group took to the streets advocating for separation of Southern Sudan come 2011 referendum next year.

Most people who attended the occasion expressed their opinion on separation with lifting banners written on yes for separation, bye for Unity and cartoons depicting the separation of the South from the North.

The Secretary General for the youth Forum David Amor explained to the crowd why the youth are advocating for separation.

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"Incase if you are going for unity, what will you do with your flag here? What will you do with the other ten parliaments? What will you do with your SPLA? This is why we are telling you that come the voting, you must vote for separation. This referendum of course it was not any presidential give and it was not any give from anybody except from the almighty God, and the people of Southern Sudan who will exercise it to show the whole world that this is the destination we have chosen forever and ever."

Although the majority of the people have been sending separation messages a few people have different opinion on the separation, Awoi Samuel is one of those few who feels people should unite.

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"I'm voting for the unity of Sudan because unity is very important now the Great Britain and the United States of America if they were to divide they will not be able to manage the whole world. So that is why I say unity is the key forward to Sudan and we must unite as Sudanese so that we can defeat anything that comes outside Sudan."

The referendum due to be held next year is part of the comprehensive Peace Agreement Signed in 2005 that ended Sudan Longest civil war. The CPA provides that the Southern Sudanese have a right to express their rights to self determination in referenda to be held next year January 9th 2011, whether to vote for unity or separation.