(Xinhua) -- Sudanese Vice-President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha... Father of the Janjaweed
militias.Taha was responsible for handling the Darfur crisis from 2003 to 2004. He was instrumental in releasing Musa Hilal from prison in 2003, assigning him authority to recruit and command a militia group, which became known as "Quick, Light and Horrible Forces of Misteriha." ...
on Monday announced Sudanese government's acceptance of south Sudan referendum results which indicated that around 99 percent of the voters have voted in favor of the region's separation.
"We declare our acceptance of the referendum's preliminary results which were announced yesterday by the referendum commission and we will directly embark on the arrangements which will follow this phase," said Taha at a presser here Monday.
"We hope this positive spirit, which characterized all stages of the referendum process, would lead to containing tensions that could surround some of the outstanding issues," he added.
Taha further reiterated continuation of cooperation and coordination between north and south Sudan, saying that "the separation, even if it has its constitutional and political consequences, the relation and common interests will remain standing and will not cease."
The Sudanese vice-president stressed that north and south Sudan were really willing to find a political settlement for the Abyei issue and prevent any unilateral solutions, saying that "we have agreed that the current administrative, political and security arrangements at Abyei would continue."
"It has also been agreed that joint forces would be dispatched in Abyei, besides removing the south Sudan police forces which recently entered the area and that the Abyei Administration would remain until a political agreement is reached."
Taha, as well, disclosed that the north and the south have agreed to exclude the option of double nationality, saying that " each state will have the right to issue a law organizing the nationality and how it could be obtained and to avoid having persons with no legal identification documents."
"We have agreed that there would be flexibility regarding presence of northerners in the south and vise versa and to protect them and their properties until their status is adjusted. There are many arrangements needed to be made to adjust the conditions of the employees at the public service and the regular forces," he said.
The South Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) on Sunday announced south Sudan's preliminary results which showed that 98. 83 percent of the southern Sudanese voters have voted in favor of the region's separation and only 1. 17 percent voted for unity.
The final results of the referendum are expected to be announced on Feb. 7 in case there were no appeals; otherwise they will be announced on Feb. 14.
According to the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA), inked between north and south Sudan in 2005, there would be a transitional period until July 9 to pave the way for transition to separation of south Sudan if the southern Sudanese opted for separation in the referendum.