afrol News, 23 April - At last, Sudanese authorities gave the greenlight for the crucial census to take place after being postponed twice.

There has never been a census in Sudan since 1993. Its population is estimated at 37.8 million.

Census, which is expected to wind up on 6 May, has been one of the crucial demands outlined in a 2005 Comprehensive Peace Accord signed by the Khartoum government and Sudan People's Liberation Movement.

The census is expected to establish the parameters for the distribution of resources between the SPLM-controlled South and central government in the North. It will also facilitate the demarcation of constituencies for next year's national electional and a referrendum on the independence of South Sudan.

South Sudan authorities said they will neither dispute the census results, nor take it seriously, considering the absence of a demarcated frontier between the North and South and the presence of about two million South Sudanese in the North.

The SPLM also querried the central government's failure to include the ethnic origin and religion in the demographic questionnaire questions. The conflict in Sudan's Darfur region is also expected to derail the census.

By staff writer

© afrol News

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