South Sudan’s government asserted its commitment to maintaining good and strong relations with the Arab world regardless of the results of the January 9 referendum.

Secretary General of the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM), Bagan Amom, welcomed the Arab League’s Secretary General Amr Moussa’s visit to Juba, the South’s capital.

Speaking to Al-Ahram, he said that he appreciates the Arab League’s attentiveness to the case of the South’s future and Moussa’s personal interest in the issue.

Amom went on to highlight Moussa’s confirmation that the league will supporting the South in whatever its people choose and assertion of the importance of rebuilding ties between the North and South.

South Sudan’s representative to Egypt and the Arab League, Faramina Mkoic Mannar, said that Moussa’s visit and declarations present a strong message to the Southern Sudanese and Arabs,  confirming that the South will remain part of the region whether it votes for secession or unity with the North.

Mannar said that Moussa’s statements regarding good relations between the Arab world and the South in the instance of secession clarifies certain issues and will help resist campaigns that aim to create animosities among them.