A UN official in the Sudan told the press yesterday in Khartoum that his organization was doing all it could in order to have the referendum on self-determination on time.
Denis Kadima, Director of the United Nations Integrated Referendum and Electoral Division, said the UN was working hard with the Referendum Commission to make sure that they achieved the ultimate goal to hold the referendum on January 9, 2011.
Mr. Kadima added that donors committed more than 63 million US Dollars through the UNDP Basket Fund to support the referenda and have already released more than half of that amount.
The UN official said registration books and cards together with office materials and generators were taken to the voters’ centres using airplanes and helicopters.
Mr. Kadima added that the UN provided logistical support to deliver those items to locations throughout Sudan and in the eight countries where Southerners will exercise their right to vote, namely, Australia, Canada, USA, Britain, Egypt, Ethiopia, Uganda, and Kenya.
He explained that UNMIS Police trained nearly 14,000 police officers in the South between May and October to beef up security for the exercise.