By Dennis Otim

15^th Nov 2010

Thousands of southern Sudanese are fleeing the north as tension grows in the build-up to January’s referendum on possible southern independence.

Southern Sudan’s government is trying to organise many of the returns.  Many southerners have been scared by suggestions from senior northern officials that they would not be welcome if the south votes to secede.

The referendum is part of a 2005 deal to end the 21-year civil war in Africa’s largest nation.  The Muslim north and south where most people are Christian or follow traditional religions are also divided along ethnic, economic and political lines and have fought for most of Sudan’s post-independence history.

Michael Mashot, a southerner, told the BBC that “…it’s difficult to be a southerner in Khartoum because this place is not my place.  I am going to the south because the referendum is near”.

The government of the south is paying for transport for many of those wanting to leave the capital, Khartoum – although some people have been waiting for weeks for a bus.

The south’s Unity State has also set up a makeshift office in the Khartoum suburb of Sahafa and has already registered more than 5,000 people to get buses heading south – a journey which can take several days.

Baroness Valerie Amos, the UN’s head of humanitarian affairs who toured Sudan recently said she is worried about too many people returning to the south to uncertain conditions.  “…Where people want to return, it’s important this return is done on a phased basis.  There is no point people leaving jobs in the north to go to the south to be unemployed”, she said.

Many people are gathering to go back to their homelands to vote for either separation or continued unity between the north and south.  Southern Sudanese have often complained their votes are manipulated by the Bashir regime.

“…We are here for many years suffering from the Khartoum regime.  Whenever we vote here we cannot get good voting. They can put that we are voting for unity but we are voting for separation”, one southern Sudanese said.  END. Please log into www.ugandacorrespondent.com every Monday to read our top stories and anytime mid-week for our news updates.