By Kevin McCauley
Robert "Bud" McFarlane, who was President Ronald Reagan's national security advisor, registered Sept. 23 with the Justice Department as president of the U.S.-Southern Sudan Development Co.
Voters in southern Sudan go to the polls in January to decide whether the oil-rich region becomes independent or remains part of a unified country.
Sudanese living in the U.S., U.K., Australia, Canada, Uganda, Kenya, Ethiopia and Egypt will also vote.
That tally was part of a peace treaty ironed out in 2005, a pact that ended two decades of war between north and south. More than 1.5M people died.
McFarlane has been providing oral advice to south Sudanese officials on "enhancing the professionalism and readiness of the security forces," "attracting foreign assistance from the U.S. and other governments," and lining up private sector cash for infrastructure projects.
According to McFarlane's federal filing, he has worked to promote the interests of southern Sudan for the past two years, receiving a payment of $700K in 2008.
McFarlane's work put him in contact with Gordon England, deputy secretary of defense; Gen. William "Kip" Ward, commander of the U.S. Africa Command, and Pamela Fierst of the State Dept.'s Sudan Policy Group.
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