Submitted by crinadmin on
Summary: The criteria that will be established to determine citizenship of the new entities is one of the many critically important choices that Sudan is facing in the context of the referendums on the status of South Sudan and Abyei.
This article argues that the nationality laws of both successor states in Sudan should:
• Not discriminate on the basis of ethnicity, race, religion, gender or any other ground prohibited in the international human rights treaties;
• Provide those who have a connection to both states with a right to opt for their preferred nationality during a transitional period;
• Allocate a default nationality on the basis of habitual residence, if a person fails to opt; or, if that is rejected outright by the negotiating parties, allocate nationality on the basis of other non-discriminatory criteria, especially place of birth;
• At minimum, permit dual nationality by naturalisation following the option for or allocation of an initial nationality;
• Provide guarantees against statelessness.
Further information:
- SUDAN: Athor rebels 'killed 200' in South Sudan Jonglei massacre [15 February 2011]
- SUDAN: Families in dire need of food [11 February 2011]
- Nationality Rights for All - A progress report and global survey on statelessness [Refugees International, USA, March 2009]
- DISPLACEMENT: Futures Denied - Statelessness Among Infants, Children, and Youth [Refugees International, USA, December 2008]
- STATELESSNESS: Children's Right to Nationality [Open Society Justice Initiative, February 2011]
pdf: http://www.crin.org/docs/OSF_International law and the right to nationality in Sudan_2011.pdf