Sudan’s SPLM leader Salva Kirr snubs national election. (BBC)
The leader of Sudan’s SPLM has snubbed the call to stand for presidential elections in the upcoming elections. The leader of south Sudan says he prefers to seek re-election as the leader of the south. The SPLM will put forward a northern Muslim Yassir Arman as the candidate to take on President Omar Al-Bashir in April’s election. The elections will be the first since 1986. The north and south have been divided for many years on issues such as cultural, religious and ethnic.
Mr. Arman is the SPLM leader in the north and the party is positive a northern candidate stands a better chance than Mr. Kirr; Mr. Bashir is also the official candidate for his party in the south. A referendum is due next year for the oil-rich south to vote on whether or not they want to be independent. The elections and referendum is geared towards ensuring peace in the country. Some thousands of people have lost their lives and have been displaced because of the violent in the country. The ICC has blamed President Bashir for the fighting’s and is likely to prosecute him on charges of crimes against humanity.