More CRBs are expected to be expanded all over south Sudan; they will work with the county level Referendum committees supporting them technically and logistically.
This comes as a response to Sudan Peoples’ Liberation Movement SPLM and National Congress Party NCP’s call on UNMIs to play a more effective role in the forthcoming referendum than it did in the elections.
International observers said Sudan’s April elections didn’t meet international standards. They were the first democratic elections after a period of more than two decades.
Speaking during the inauguration, Western equatorial State Governor Joseph Bakasoro said the referendum is at hand and should not be postponed whatsoever.
He called upon the people of south Sudan to vote wisely and prevent a mistake of refusing freedom while casting their votes in the referendum.
David Gressly, the top U.N. official in Southern Sudan said the objective of the CRBs will be to meet the 9th January deadline with UN teams on the round so as to provide the support SPLM and NCP called for.
Mr. Gressly noted that CBRs in other locations would be completed in the coming weeks. He reiterated UN’s commitment in achieving a referendum that is internationally recognized when the results come out.
Each CRB will compose of a dozen of UN staff two UN police officers who will work with the local officers to ensure that the referendum goes peacefully
Some of the CBRs are being built from scratch. Barbed wire, security lights, white tents that will provide accommodation and offices to the staff, and a water tank are the main features of the bases.
The launch was graced by the chairperson of the South Sudan Referendum Bureau and its members, GoSS minister of Presidential Affairs, commissioner of Mundri West among others.