South sudan clearly show big vote for seccession

[The_Emperior5]

JUBA, Sudan -- Exhausted poll workers posted the first preliminary results from Southern Sudan's weeklong independence referendum on Sunday, and an Associated Press count of a small sampling of the returns showed a huge vote for secession.

Sudan's south ended its independence vote Saturday, a vote most everyone believes will split Africa's largest country in two at the divide between Sudan's Muslim north and Christian and animist south. Poll workers counted throughout the night to post results.

An AP review of results at 10 sites in the south's capital of Juba found a 95 percent turnout and a huge vote for secession. Almost 30,000 ballots were recorded at the 10 sites, and almost 96 percent of the ballots were for secession. Three percent were for unity and the rest were invalid.

That's only a small sample of the approximately 3.2 million votes cast, but almost all observers believe the south voted for secession. The referendum needs to pass by a simple majority.

"We are very tired and very hungry," said Lonyik Roberts, 31, the lead poll worker at one of the Juba stations, who said poll workers have had little to eat the past 24 hours. "We continued counting throughout the night. We are waiting now for the referendum commission to collect the ballots."

The independence referendum was promised to the south in a 2005 peace deal that ended more than two decades of north-south civil war in which 2 million people were killed.

If the process stays on track, Southern Sudan is due to become the world's newest country in July.



source washingtonpost

[Basra-]

buurtooy....

[FBISOMALIA]

south sudan today next ogadania

[The_Emperior5]

gaw ma nabeelaad i mooday basra

FBsomalia inshallah ogadenia wa xooroobi

[tightrope]

WHAT DOES THIS HAVE TO DO WITH KHATLAND? MOST PEOPLE FROM SSC REGIONS DON'T WANT SECESSION AND SOME AWDALITES DON'T WANT SECESSION EITHER...

[Basra-]

is nabeela fat?

[tightrope]

south sudan today next ogadania

INSHALLAH!

[PrinceOfDarwiishLand]

This is the "Somalilanders ku sheeg" and The_Emperior5 after moments of South Sudan's Independence and the breaking news that "SOMALIA'S UNITY IS MUQADIIS".

[Nabeela]

is nabeela fat?

Not as fat as you though.

[Aguardiente]

Perhaps but I would not bank on it. Not yet until the current regional alliances change.

[The_Emperior5]

S.Sudan early returns show big vote for secession

SLIDESHOW Previous Next
An election official shows a pro independence ballot as votes are tallied at polling station in Juba, South Sudan, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011. Results began trickling in immediately after polls closed Saturday evening. Almost everyone expects the south to vote overwhelmingly to break away from the north, cleaving one of Africa's larger nations in two. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) (Jerome Delay - AP)

South Sudanese election officials count the ballots at a polling station in Juba, South Sudan, Saturday Jan 15, 2011. Results began trickling in immediately after polls closed Saturday evening. Almost everyone expects the south to vote overwhelmingly to break away from the north, cleaving one of Africa's larger nations in two. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) (Jerome Delay - AP)

Votes are counted at a polling station in Juba, South Sudan, Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011. Results began trickling in immediately after polls closed Saturday evening. Almost everyone expects the south to vote overwhelmingly to break away from the north, cleaving one of Africa's larger nations in two. (AP Photo/Jerome Delay) (Jerome Delay - AP)

A polling staff member empties a ballot box at the end of a weeklong voting process, at a polling center in Khartoum, Sudan Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011. Voters in Southern Sudan began celebrating after the end of a weeklong independence referendum Saturday, a poll that is widely expected to lead to the creation of the world's newest country. (AP Photo/Abd Raouf) (Abd Raouf - AP)

A polling staff member opens a ballot box at the end of a weeklong voting process, at a polling center in Um Durman, Sudan Saturday, Jan. 15, 2011. Voters in Southern Sudan began celebrating after the end of a weeklong independence referendum Saturday, a poll that is widely expected to lead to the creation of the world's newest country. (AP Photo/Nasser Nasser) (Nasser Nasser - AP)

South Sudanese President Salva Kiir, center, hugs Catholic Archbishop Paulino Lukudu following a church service at Juba, Southern Sudan, Sunday Jan. 16, 2011. The Southern Sudan's president on Sunday offered a prayer of forgiveness for northern Sudan and the killings that occurred during a two-decade civil war, as the first results from a weeklong independence referendum showed an overwhelming vote for secession. About four million Southern Sudanese voters cast their ballots in a weeklong referendum on independence that is expected to split Africa's largest nation in two.(AP Photo/Jerome Delay) (Jerome Delay - AP)
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By MAGGIE FICK
The Associated Press
Sunday, January 16, 2011; 10:40 AM

JUBA, Sudan -- Southern Sudan's president on Sunday offered a prayer of forgiveness for northern Sudan and the killings that occurred during a two-decade civil war, as the first results from a weeklong independence referendum showed an overwhelming vote for secession.

Exhausted poll workers who counted ballots overnight and deep into Sunday morning posted returns at individual stations, and an Associated Press count of a small sample showed a 96 percent vote for secession.

Sudan's south ended its independence vote Saturday, a vote most believe will split the large country in two at the divide between Sudan's Muslim north and Christian and animist south. The two sides ended a more than two decade civil war in 2005 in a peace deal that provided for last week's vote.

If everything stays on track, by July Southern Sudan should be the world's newest nation.

At a church service Sunday, Southern Sudan President Salva Kiir - a stoic man not known for showing emotion - smiled, gently clapped and swayed during a service that took on a jubilant and celebratory air.

"For our deceased brothers and sisters, particularly those who have fallen during the time of the struggle, may God bless them with eternal peace and, like Jesus Christ on the cross, forgive those who have forcibly caused their death," Kiir said.

There were scattered attacks in Southern Sudan before polling began and in the contested region of Abyei, but the vote was peaceful, earning the praise of international observers and U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon.

U.S. President Barack Obama congratulated Sudan on the peaceful vote, in a statement issued Sunday.

"The sight of so many Sudanese casting their votes in a peaceful and orderly fashion was an inspiration to the world and a tribute to the determination of the people and leaders of south Sudan to forge a better future," the statement said.

In Juba, Catholic Archbishop Paulino Lukudu said Sunday: "What we have in front of us is peace."

An AP review of results at 10 sites in the south's capital of Juba found that almost 96 percent of the almost 30,000 ballots cast were for secession. About 3 percent were for unity and the rest were invalid.

That's only a small sample of the approximately 3.2 million votes cast, but almost all observers believe the south voted for secession. The referendum needs to pass by a simple majority. Results won't be certified until any appeals are heard in early February.

"My reaction is just happiness," said Okula Thomas, a 24-year-old university student who waits tables at an Ethiopian restaurant. "We are going to get our freedom, we will get development, and life will change."

Sudan's ruling party in the north said Friday it was ready to accept southern independence. Border demarcation, oil rights and the status of the contested region of Abyei - the most difficult issue on the table - still have to be negotiated.

Mohamed Ibrahim Khalil, the chairman of the south's referendum commission, said 83 percent of those registered in the south and 53 percent of those registered in the north had cast votes. Khalil said he believed the referendum would be judged as "a good result by any international standard," noting that the commission set up the vote in four months.

Poll workers at the more than 2,600 stations in Sudan worked overnight and often by candlelight.

"We are very tired and very hungry," said Lonyik Roberts, 31, the lead poll worker at one of the Juba stations. "We continued counting throughout the night. We are waiting now for the referendum commission to collect the ballots."

Gonda Keffa, a poll worker at Juba University's polling site, said his team began counting ballots at 8 p.m. Saturday night and finished at 5:30 a.m. Sunday

"We worked throughout the night," said Keffa, 24. "That's why you can see we are just feeling giddy."

[grandpakhalif]

Its ironic how the secessionist farce entity known as Somaliland is so excited about the secession of South Sudan when they are two completely different cases. One is legitimate, a difference peoples, language and religion. While sadly the south and the north both share the same religion, language. Try again secessionists, the western world wont look twice at abolished British borders and their orphans.

[The_Emperior5]

Its ironic how the secessionist farce entity known as Somaliland is so excited about the secession of South Sudan when they are two completely different cases. One is legitimate, a difference peoples, language and religion. While sadly the south and the north both share the same religion, language. Try again secessionists, the western world wont look twice at abolished British borders and their orphans.

Syria and Egypt the both shared Ethnicity religion language


its all about the will of the people my friend , if u one day want to get rid of shabaab and the Amiir who knows it might happen

[Garaad_LQ]

Its ironic how the secessionist farce entity known as Somaliland is so excited about the secession of South Sudan when they are two completely different cases. One is legitimate, a difference peoples, language and religion. While sadly the south and the north both share the same religion, language. Try again secessionists, the western world wont look twice at abolished British borders and their orphans.

[PrinceOfDarwiishLand]

Its ironic how the secessionist farce entity known as Somaliland is so excited about the secession of South Sudan when they are two completely different cases. One is legitimate, a difference peoples, language and religion. While sadly the south and the north both share the same religion, language. Try again secessionists, the western world wont look twice at abolished British borders and their orphans.

Syria and Egypt the both shared Ethnicity religion language


its all about the will of the people my friend , if u one day want to get rid of shabaab and the Amiir who knows it might happen

So, since it's about the "Will of the people"....then that means....if the people of SSC and Awdal do not want to be part of "Somaliland" they have the right to separate from "Somaliland", right?

And...don't say "Awdalites" do not wanna separate, because frankly, you don't speak for Awdallanders.