President of the Government of Southern Sudan - Salva Kiir Mayardit
New Year Message Year 2011

Fellow citizens,

Once again, I would like to convey to you and your families my very best wishes for the New Year 2011. As I expressed it in my Christmas message, this year is a special one indeed for the Sudanese people in general and Southern Sudanese in particular because of the upcoming referendum Event on January 9th, 2011. May this year become truly a year of the final journey for permanent peace in the Sudan full of happiness and prosperity. My message to you is simple and clear: peaceful campaigns and mobilization in order to attain a free, fair and transparent atmosphere during the polling. It is in the interest of us all as Southern Sudanese to ensure that the outcome of the exercise, determined by the freewill of our people, is wholeheartedly favourably received by our brothers and sisters in Northern Sudan, the region and the international community.

To the people of Abyei, particularly the Ngok Dinka, I take this opportunity to express my solidarity and also to sincerely wish you a happy New Year 2011. The fact that your Referendum has not been scheduled as agreed, it does not mean that you are already forgotten. I would like to convey you my reassurances that a solution will be found on the problem of Abyei. The Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) and the NCP must put their minds together to find a final solution. I am optimistic that every hurdle will be overcome and the people of Abyei will be free.

To the Sudanese people, I call upon you all to usher into the New Year 2011 with a renewed spirit of life full of hope for the future. We implore God Almighty to endow each and every one of us with the spirit of forgiveness and tolerance as we enter into a new situation in our country. I would also like to take this opportunity to announce to the people and Government of Southern Sudan that we have been honoured by our President H.E. Field Marshall Omer Hassan Al-Bashir, who will be our first guest for the New Year. I therefore urge Southern Sudanese of all walks of life and particularly the citizens of Juba to turn up in big numbers to give him a thunderous welcome when he arrives in the morning of January 4th, 2011.

Fellow countrymen and women,

Tonight, join me in wishing our President and his family, the government and people of the Republic of the Sudan good health, happy and prosperous New Year 2011. As I said earlier on in my Christmas message, President Bashir and the National Congress Party (NCP) will be forever remembered for having endured the burden of presiding over the affairs of this country during the difficult moments of our history. My brother President, this is indeed a historic credit to both the NCP and the SPLM and I truthfully commend your brave decision to sail the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) through amidst all obstacles.

Last but not the least, I wish you all serene celebrations and radiant entrance into a prosperous New Year 2011 and successful Referendum on January 9th, 2011.

Happy and Prosperous New Year!