LONDON, Oct. 8 (UPI) -- There is much work left to be done for Sudan to have a referendum on southern secession on time, the British minister for Africa declared.
"This is a crucial time for Sudan," said British Minister for Africa Henry Bellingham in a statement. "The international community is united in wanting to see a credible referendum which reflects the will of the people of Southern Sudan."
Bellingham was speaking during a meeting with the Daniel Deng, the archbishop of Southern Sudan. The minister said during his meeting that London remained committed to the south but warned many issues were in the way of having the January election on time.
U.S. President George W. Bush in 2005 brokered a Sudanese agreement that led in part to the end of years of civil conflict. The measure gave South Sudan a five-year period of autonomy followed by the January referendum for self-determination.
Washington and the United Nations have expressed concern that Sudanese authorities were well behind schedule in preparations for the vote.
Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha promised delegates at the U.N. General Assembly that his "brothers in the south of Sudan" could vote without any undue pressure from the government in Khartoum.
