VOA标准英语2010年-Sudanese Nomads Threaten War if Exclud

With tensions mounting just three months before a critical referendum on secession in southern Sudan, deadlock¹ surrounding the status of the Abyei region has presented another threat to the stability of post-referendum Sudan.

In an interview Wednesday with Reuters, the head of the nomadic² Missiriya tribe, Mokhtar Babo Nimr, warned that his group would use force if not allowed to participate in a plebiscite being held alongside the southern referendum.

Reuters reports an estimated 2,000 people gathered in the West Kordofan town of Muglad to demand inclusion in the vote. The group presented U.N. representatives with a set of demands that included a review of Abyei's borders.

Abyei continues to be a sticking point in critical negotiations³ between the north and south before the votes on January 9. Analysts⁴ are increasingly worried that the deadlock could delay or prevent the critical vote and plunge⁵ the region back into war.

At the opening of the U.N. General Assembly last week, United States President Barack Obama held a separate meeting between Southern President Salva Kiir and Sudanese Vice⁶ President Ali Osman Taha to move negotiations on Abyei forward. According to U.S. Assistant Secretary of State P.J. Crowley, the talks laid the groundwork for an agreement in the near future.

"The teams and our Sudan team will meet again next month in Addis Ababa," said Crowley. "And we would expect that the parties should come to that meeting prepared to reach an agreement on Abyei. Abyei is our immediate⁷ focus. There are clear responsibilities that both North and South have. And while we worked through some of the issues this weekend, we expect that both sides, particularly Khartoum, needs to come to the next meeting prepared to reach an agreement."

Abyei, which lies within three Sudanese states along the north-south border, has long been a point of contention⁸ between North and South. The region experienced some of the heaviest fighting during the first and second Sudanese civil wars, and has become even more valuable since large quantities of oil were discovered in 1979.

On January 9, South Sudan is widely expected to vote for secession and form an independent nation. The same day, residents of Abyei will choose whether to align⁹ themselves with the north or south, in the event of southern secession.

But disagreements between North and South Sudan have stalled preparations for the Abyei vote. Part of the problem is the Missiriya tribe.

Traditionally aligned¹⁰ with the North, Missiriya in central Sudan claim the northern Abyei region as part of their traditional grazing area. The group fears it will lose the right to use the land should Abyei become part of South Sudan.

The government in Khartoum has taken up the group's cause, demanding that Missiriya be allowed to vote in the upcoming plebiscite. But that demand has sparked disagreement over who should be considered a resident of the region. The South also has accused the north of sending members of the tribe to Abyei in advance of the vote to influence the results.

1 deadlock   

n.僵局，僵持

参考例句：

• The negotiations reached a deadlock after two hours.两小时后，谈判陷入了僵局。
• The employers and strikers are at a deadlock over the wage.雇主和罢工者在工资问题上相持不下。

2 nomadic   

adj.流浪的；游牧的

参考例句：

• This tribe still live a nomadic life.这个民族仍然过着游牧生活。
• The plowing culture and the nomadic culture are two traditional principal cultures in China.农耕文化与游牧文化是我国传统的两大主体文化。

3 negotiations   

协商( negotiation的名词复数 )； 谈判； 完成（难事）； 通过

参考例句：

• negotiations for a durable peace 为持久和平而进行的谈判
• Negotiations have failed to establish any middle ground. 谈判未能达成任何妥协。

4 analysts   

分析家，化验员( analyst的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• City analysts forecast huge profits this year. 伦敦金融分析家预测今年的利润非常丰厚。
• I was impressed by the high calibre of the researchers and analysts. 研究人员和分析人员的高素质给我留下了深刻印象。

5 plunge   

v.跳入，(使)投入，(使)陷入；猛冲

参考例句：

• Test pool's water temperature before you plunge in.在你跳入之前你应该测试水温。
• That would plunge them in the broil of the two countries.那将会使他们陷入这两国的争斗之中。

6 vice   

n.坏事；恶习；[pl.]台钳，老虎钳；adj.副的

参考例句：

• He guarded himself against vice.他避免染上坏习惯。
• They are sunk in the depth of vice.他们堕入了罪恶的深渊。

7 immediate   

adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的

参考例句：

• His immediate neighbours felt it their duty to call.他的近邻认为他们有责任去拜访。
• We declared ourselves for the immediate convocation of the meeting.我们主张立即召开这个会议。

8 contention   

n.争论，争辩，论战；论点，主张

参考例句：

• The pay increase is the key point of contention. 加薪是争论的焦点。
• The real bone of contention,as you know,is money.你知道，争论的真正焦点是钱的问题。

9 align   

vt.使成一线，结盟，调节；vi.成一线，结盟

参考例句：

• Align the ruler and the middle of the paper.使尺子与纸张的中部成一条直线。
• There are signs that the prime minister is aligning himself with the liberals.有迹象表明首相正在与自由党人结盟。

10 aligned   

adj.对齐的，均衡的

参考例句：

• Make sure the shelf is aligned with the top of the cupboard.务必使搁架与橱柜顶端对齐。