World News
South Sudan Votes to Secede from North
January 19, 2011
(2:14)
South Sudan voted overwhelmingly for independence from the North in last week's referendum. But what does that mean for the region going forward?
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TRANSCRIPT
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“And it is a new beginning in southern Sudan. After an exhausting vote tally with most ballots counted, voters approved plans to break away from northern Sudan after a two-decade civil war.” (ABC News)
More than 97 percent of voters in south Sudan have backed the bid for independence according to preliminary results. Although the region is scheduled to become the world’s newest nation on July 9th, many in the media are saying: that was the easy part. The real struggle is still to come.
Nigerian newspaper The Nation outlines some of the challenges southern Sudan will face.
“The south is made of several ethnic groups atomistically fighting for independence and are only united in confronting the big bully from the north. Welding these disparate groups together will be another challenge.”
There’s also the contentious issue of the oil-rich border region of Abyei. The native people of the region, the Ngok Dinka and the nomadic Misseriya, were supposed to have voted in a parallel referendum on January 9th. Disputes over who was eligible to vote, however, meant it was postponed, leaving the region in limbo.
“...fearing they might be left behind as the world’s newest state is born, they are threatening to declare their allegiance to the South unilaterally. Such a move would be resisted by the Khartoum government, its army and militias. If Sudan's civil war is going to resume, it will start here in Abyei.”
Before the election, the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, went so far as to threaten violence.
“We will not accept Abyei to be part of the South. If any party takes any independent action over Abyei, that will be the beginning of a conflict.”
A writer for The Heritage Foundation’s Foundry blog urges the United States to use its influence in the region to ensure a smooth transition.
“The diplomatic actions of the United States at the critical time should emphasize that violence by the government in Khartoum is unacceptable, as is its failure to prevent or swiftly police any violence that may occur.”
Finally, IRIN News talks to a civil society activist in the northern capital of Khartoum who asks: what happens now to the North?
“We assume the South will be separate ... We have our problems too: Darfur and the east have had rebellions. Will they be the ones to ask, ‘now it is our turn?’”
The final outcome of the referendum will be announced February 6th, with the deadline for appeal February 14th.
More than 97 percent of voters in south Sudan have backed the bid for independence according to preliminary results. Although the region is scheduled to become the world’s newest nation on July 9th, many in the media are saying: that was the easy part. The real struggle is still to come.
Nigerian newspaper The Nation outlines some of the challenges southern Sudan will face.
“The south is made of several ethnic groups atomistically fighting for independence and are only united in confronting the big bully from the north. Welding these disparate groups together will be another challenge.”
There’s also the contentious issue of the oil-rich border region of Abyei. The native people of the region, the Ngok Dinka and the nomadic Misseriya, were supposed to have voted in a parallel referendum on January 9th. Disputes over who was eligible to vote, however, meant it was postponed, leaving the region in limbo.
“...fearing they might be left behind as the world’s newest state is born, they are threatening to declare their allegiance to the South unilaterally. Such a move would be resisted by the Khartoum government, its army and militias. If Sudan's civil war is going to resume, it will start here in Abyei.”
Before the election, the Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir, went so far as to threaten violence.
“We will not accept Abyei to be part of the South. If any party takes any independent action over Abyei, that will be the beginning of a conflict.”
A writer for The Heritage Foundation’s Foundry blog urges the United States to use its influence in the region to ensure a smooth transition.
“The diplomatic actions of the United States at the critical time should emphasize that violence by the government in Khartoum is unacceptable, as is its failure to prevent or swiftly police any violence that may occur.”
Finally, IRIN News talks to a civil society activist in the northern capital of Khartoum who asks: what happens now to the North?
“We assume the South will be separate ... We have our problems too: Darfur and the east have had rebellions. Will they be the ones to ask, ‘now it is our turn?’”
The final outcome of the referendum will be announced February 6th, with the deadline for appeal February 14th.
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