Sudanese Overwhelmingly Vote for South’s Secession

Referendum results released Sunday pave the way for southern Sudan to become a separate country this summer.

You know those elections in war-torn countries that are widely condemned for ballot stuffing and “voting irregularities?” This was not one of those votes. By all accounts, the Sudanese secession referendum held over a week earlier this month was free and fair, and Sudanese have voted to let the south separate from the north. The Sudanese election commission announced the referendum results Sunday, and as expected, 99 per cent of voters in the South cast a ballot for secession. Even in the North a majority of 58 per cent voted to break up the country. Details like the border demarcation and oil rights have yet to be ironed out, but the new country is scheduled to declare independence in July.