Referendum in Sudan cannot affect recognition of NKR independence

PanARMENIAN.Net - So it was in Nagorno Karabakh, Timor-Leste, Eritrea, Abkhazia, South Ossetia, and now in Sudan. All these newly-established states, by and large, have always been a foreign body in mother countries, and they were all held up by just another, greater country, be it the British Empire, Yugoslavia or the Soviet Union. And if in the British Empire, the borders of compact habitation of this or that tribe or nation were properly defined, in the Soviet Union and Yugoslavia the borders were defined without taking into account the issue of compact habitation of the Armenians, Abkhazians, and Albanians. As a result we got what we have: every new referendum proves that the right of nations to self-determination stands above any principle of territorial integrity. The latter is a mere term beyond which there lies only the desire not to lose the lands once received in an unjust way. In this regard, of course, any referendum in the world is extra proof that independence of Artsakh must be recognized, no matter Azerbaijan wants it or not.

The Sudan referendum was a U.S. project, and it must be admitted that so far everything has gone smooth. It’s just interesting whether the Sudanese themselves would have made such a step, had they got no support from across the ocean. The thing is that in terms of economy, independence will do nothing good to Southern Sudan. As always, the territories rich in hydrocarbons will easily fall in euphoria, cherishing hopes of rapid enrichment and “sweet life”. And the fact that there is no infrastructure in the south is simply not taken into account. Hope is pinned on concessionaires – they’ll come, build, and do everything necessary... It should be noted that 98% of its budget the future independent state will form from oil exports. So, it wants no war in whatever form it may be. Khartoum knows it well, so she may later try to light up a small hearth of tension, which being in Africa may develop into a major war. And it is exactly what initiators of the referendum, i.e. the United States, wants least of all. But there is another important fact: hunger, which kills thousands of people in Africa every day. The UN experts predict hunger for Southern Sudan. This danger is most realistic today, and there is no reason not to believe it.

There is another argument in favor of the referendum. Sudan, or rather its northern part, has long been a refuge for Osama bin Laden. So, it is beneficial for the United States to support the Christian south, rather than the Muslim north. And as proof that this is indeed the case, the Sudanese security forces arrested leader of the Islamic opposition Hassan al-Turabi, who heads the radical National Islamic Front party. Al-Turabi is known for his extreme radical views and is one of the instigators of jihad. Now he calls people to disobedience and condemns the country to the fate of Tunisia.

Nevertheless, in no way can the Sudanese referendum affect international recognition of Nagorno-Karabakh. Karabakh is not an American project; it has no oil, no access to major transportation routes in the region. The only thing that Artsakh people have is a will to independence, and they need no precedent in the form of a referendum that takes place thousands of miles away from Stepanakert.