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|b The Sudanese are waiting for the self-determination referendum for the citizens of the South to be held in January 2011. This is one of the main items of the comprehensive peace agreement signed in Naivasha, Kenya in 2005. \ The Sudanese agreed to grant the Southerners the right of self- determination by means of voting either to stay under a unified Sudan or separate and establish an independent state of their own. Both the partners of the above agreement shared the view of working to convince the Southerners to voluntarily vote for unity. This is what most Sudanese politicians, intellectuals, civil community leaders and mainstream citizens are striving for. \ The report investigates the major justifications drawn by those calling for separation. In contrast, the reasons to maintain the national unity between the north and the south of the country are explained, along with the reasons motivating the Sudanese, in general, and the southerners, in particular, to hold on to unity. The report also refers to the parties adopting the unity choice as well as the public support among the Southerners. Finally, the report explores the main roles to be played by the various partners in the peace process in the country, in a bid to carry out the constitutional right of the referendum in a context of freedom and integrity.
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