International brief ~ Preparations under way to establish southern Sudan capital News
International brief ~ Preparations under way to establish southern Sudan capital

[JURIST] Officials from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement have begun preparations to establish their regional capital city in Rumbek, some 560 miles south of the governmental capital city of Khartoum. The establishment of an independent southern capital in Sudan was part of the historic peace agreement signed on Sunday by officials from the two warring factions. The southern region of Sudan will be granted autonomy for six years, after which a popular referendum will decide whether the south will remain part of the country or will secede. Key to the deal was an agreement to exempt southern, and mainly Christian, Sudan from Muslim Sharia law, as well as provisions that equally divided revenues from the many oil wells in the south. JURIST's Paper Chase has continuing coverage of the unfolding developments in Sudan. The Sudan Tribune has more…. The 13th annual Asia-Pacific Parliamentary Forum began Monday in Viet Nam. The Forum will host 23 nations that will discuss the continued economic development of the Asia-Pacific region, as well as addressing important current international topics. Russia, along with several other countries, will be submitting a draft resolution [DOC] proposing a heightened involvement of the organization in fighting and suppressing international terrorism. A list of the draft resolutions up for consideration can be found here. Viet Nam News Agency has more on the Forum. Itar-Tass has more on the Russian draft resolution on terrorism…. Venezualan President Hugo Chavez (official site in Spanish) has vowed to energetically pursue redress in what he has called a violation of Venezualan sovereignty by Colombian forces (official site in Spanish). Colombians arrested Rodrigo Granda, a high-ranking member of Farc (official site in Spanish), the Revolutionary Armed Forces of Colombia, on December 14 in Cucuta, near the Venezualan border. Chavez claims that mobile phone records prove that the Colombian security forces actually apprehended Granda a day earlier in Caracas, in Venezualan territory. Chavez has alleged that the Colombian Security Forces actively violated Venezualan territory and have been lying to Colombian President Alvaro Uribe. Cplombia has denied the allegations. BBC News has more.