Goran Tomasevic / Reuters
Women wait to vote inside a polling station during a referendum on whether to join Sudan or South Sudan, in the town of Abyei on Oct. 28, 2013.
Goran Tomasevic / Reuters
People wave as they arrive in Abyei on Oct. 26. Dinka Ngok people from South Sudan and even from as far away as Australia have returned to take part in the vote.
By Ilya Gridneff, Reuters
Goran Tomasevic / Reuters
A women waiting to vote on Oct. 27.
Tens of thousands of residents in the remote and disputed Abyei border region voted on Monday in a non-binding referendum on whether to join Sudan or South Sudan, despite fears it could trigger violence.
The ownership of Abyei was left undecided when South Sudan declared independence from Sudan in 2011[1] and a long-promised official plebiscite on its status has been stalled by arguments over can vote, prompting the local referendum initiative.
The chairman of the referendum commission said he expected a unanimous vote in favor of joining South Sudan - a decision sure to antagonize heavily armed, pro-Sudan Misseriya nomads who drive their livestock through the region.
The result, expected on October 31, is not legally binding and both Sudan and South Sudan have said they will not recognize it, but the vote is important for the majority in Abyei who identify ethnically, culturally and religiously with the South. Read the full story[2].
Goran Tomasevic / Reuters
Women sing and wave the national flag of South Sudan during a rally in Abyei on Oct. 26.
Goran Tomasevic / Reuters
A woman holds part of a cross in a church damaged by a Sudanese airstrike a few years ago, in the town of Abyei on Oct. 25.
Related:
Thousands flee 'ethnic cleansing' in disputed Abyei region of Sudan[3]
Building South Sudan from scratch: Why some new countries are more equal than others[4]
Blood and oil tinge South Sudan's first birthday[5]
Copyright 2013 Thomson Reuters. Click for restrictions[6].References
- ^ South Sudan declared independence from Sudan in 2011 (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ Read the full story (www.nbcnews.com)
- ^ Thousands flee 'ethnic cleansing' in disputed Abyei region of Sudan (photoblog.nbcnews.com)
- ^ Building South Sudan from scratch: Why some new countries are more equal than others (photoblog.nbcnews.com)
- ^ Blood and oil tinge South Sudan's first birthday (photoblog.nbcnews.com)
- ^ Click for restrictions (thomsonreuters.com)
Newer articles:
- Flashpoint Abyei counts vote for Sudan or South Sudan future - 30/10/2013 09:36
- S. Sudan in Brief: EAC Customs, Visa Deal - Businesses Want Tax Reforms - 30/10/2013 01:30
- Contested Abyei wraps up vote to join Sudan or South Sudan - 29/10/2013 16:17
- S. Sudan Plans Oil License Auction by Year's End - 29/10/2013 12:52
- South Sudan plans oil licence auction by year-end - 29/10/2013 12:52
Older news items
- Art for the Heart of Africa benefits South Sudan orphans - 29/10/2013 11:58
- East African countries launch single customs territory - 29/10/2013 07:48
- East African Ministers sign MoU on single customs territory - 29/10/2013 03:54
- Thousands vote in referendum on fate of Sudan's disputed Abyei - 28/10/2013 17:32
- African Union warns contested Abyei vote 'threat to peace' - 28/10/2013 14:20
Latest news items (all categories):
- The SPLM ruling party is facing a dilemma and Thucydides trap at a pivotal moment - 24/08/2026 14:06
- Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) countries are making green development an engine of growth - 24/08/2026 13:36
- President Salva Kiir in Pretoria Seeking Support Ahead of South Sudan’s December Elections - 24/08/2026 12:48
- Tambura’s fragile path from conflict to recovery - 24/08/2026 12:45
- South Sudan’s Yei Joint Stars advance to semi final stage of Zonal qualifiers - 24/08/2026 12:43
Random articles (all categories):
- Alberta's South Sudanese hold conference on refugee crisis - 24/09/2016 21:03
- South Sudan 'sliding towards instability, conflict and crisis' - 09/07/2013 07:18
- South Sudan: Machar to attend Addis meeting - 27/04/2019 05:16
- Will lingering suspicions undermine public support for South Sudan’s peace? - 15/05/2020 03:02
- MCC Students raise $50,000 for Water for South Sudan | Community Service - 18/06/2013 05:04
Popular articles:
- Who is the darkest person in the world, according to Guinness World Record? - 25/10/2022 02:34 - Read 148868 times
- School exam results in South Sudan show decline - 01/04/2012 17:58 - Read 27996 times
- Top 10 weakest currency exchange rates in Africa in 2023 - 19/07/2023 00:24 - Read 25081 times
- No oil in troubled waters - 25/03/2014 15:02 - Read 24390 times
- NDSU student from South Sudan receives scholarship - In-Forum - 29/09/2012 01:44 - Read 22336 times
