By Adekunle Aliyu with Agency
Report
Final results of last month’s
referendum show an
overwhelming majority of
southern Sudanese voted to split
from the north, a result that will
lead to the creation of the world ’s
newest nation, the referendum
commission said Monday.
The chairman of the Southern
Sudan Referendum Commission,
which organized the vote and
includes members from both
sides, said 98.83% voted for
separation, while 1.17% voted for
unity.
“It was a peaceful process,” said
chairman Muhammad Ibrahim
Khalil at a ceremony in Khartoum
attended by Sudanese politicians,
international diplomats, U.N. staff,
academics and others. “It was a
transparent process.”
“Not a single person” showed up
to appeal the results, he said.
Preliminary results had shown
overwhelming support for
separation.
The commission met Monday with
Sudanese President Omar al-
Bashir and First Vice President
Salva Kiir to present the final
results, state TV reported earlier.
Al-Bashir has stated his
commitment to the results and
said he will accept them, state TV
said.
As a result of the government’s
acceptance of the results, the
United States is beginning the
process of removing Sudan from
its list of state sponsors of
terrorism, U.S. State Department
spokesman P.J. Crowley said
Monday.
U.S. President Barack Obama
announced Washington ’s
intention to recognize Southern
Sudan as a sovereign,
independent state in July, when a
comprehensive peace agreement
with the north is due to end.
“After decades of conflict, the
images of millions of southern
Sudanese voters deciding their
own future was an inspiration to
the world and another step
forward in Africa ’s long journey
toward justice and democracy,”
Obama said in a statement. “Now,
all parties have a responsibility to
ensure that this historic moment
of promise becomes a moment of
lasting progress. The
Comprehensive Peace Agreement
must be fully implemented and
outstanding disputes must be
resolved peacefully. ”
Obama promised the United States
would support the governments
of both Sudan and Southern
Sudan to ensure a smooth and
peaceful transition to
independence.
“It is a happy day for southern
Sudanese,” said Louis Makor, 40,
an activist from the south. “We
have gained our rights, our self-
determination, and I hope the
best for both southern and
northern Sudanese. And we will
remain brothers. ”
Those in the north had more
varied opinions.
“I think it is better,” said Abd al-
Aziz Ahmad, 30, a grocery store
owner. “They can have their own
country and our problem in the
north will lessen. ”
Northerner Al-Razy Yassin, 27,
however, said he felt very sad
about the outcome.
“I believed that our strength is in
our diversity,” he said. “This
means the failure of the Sudanese
national state and I fear what
might come. ”
There were tears on the face of
Ikhlas Garang, a woman who is
half northern and half southern,
who cried, “Why are we
separating? Why are we
separating ?”
Sudan’s north and south fought a
war for more than two decades,
finally ending in a peace treaty in
2005 that paved the way for the
referendum. The conflict, which
left 2 million people dead, pitted a
government dominated by Arab
Muslims in northern Sudan
against black Christians and
animists in the south.
From CNN
vanguardngr.com/2011/02/referendum-splits-sudan-into-two/

9ja to follow soon

NnamdiN:
9ja to follow soon

You've spoken very well and reasonably.