Secretary-General Welcomes End of Polling Period in Southern Sudan Referendum,

 

Calls for Patience until Final Result Is Announced

 

The following statement was issued on 15 January by the Spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon:

The Secretary-General welcomes the end of the polling period for the Southern Sudan referendum.

He commends the work of the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission in Khartoum and its Bureau in Juba, and of the two parties to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement.

He extends his gratitude to all donor countries whose contribution has facilitated the process and his appreciation to the observer groups that travelled throughout Sudan and overseas to assess the situation.

The Secretary-General congratulates all the people of Sudan for the display of wisdom, patience and peaceful determination that has characterized the voting over the last week.  He calls on the people and institutions of Sudan to exercise patience and restraint until the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission announces the final result of the referendum.

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For information media • not an official record