IBC members to visit states, refugee camps

Members of South Sudan’s Independent Boundaries Commission (IBC) are planning to visit states and refugee camps in neighbouring countries after the Easter holidays, a senior official said on Monday.

Members of South Sudan’s Independent Boundaries Commission (IBC) are planning to visit states and refugee camps in neighbouring countries after the Easter holidays, a senior official said on Monday.

Joseph Modesto, the Secretary General of the Communist Party, told Radio Tamazuj that IBC members will visit all states and refugees in Kenya, Uganda, Sudan and Ethiopia to solicit citizens’ views on the number of states.

He said several views were received on the numbers of states, adding that consultations are underway with parties on the matter.

"The commission has received multiple views on the number of states, and each opinion has a supportive statement on why they chose the number of states in South Sudan in the coming period,” he said.

Modesto said the commission would submit its final report to the African Union before the end of the pre-transitional period on 12 May.

The IBC consists of 15 members nominated among the parties, supported by five experts nominated by the member states of the African Union High Level Ad Hoc Committee on South Sudan (South Africa, Algeria, Chad, Nigeria and Rwanda).

Pursuant to the peace agreement, the commission will consider the report of the Technical Boundary Committee (TBC) on the tribal boundaries as they stood on 1 January 1956.