Australians vote in South Sudan independence referendum

MORE than 9000 Australians of southern Sudanese origin are expected to vote this week on whether the country should split.

The southern part of Africa's largest country is expected to break away and form the world's newest country following the independence referendum.

Polling stations around Australia will be open from Sunday until Saturday, January 15.

Australians will be the first to cast their votes among the worldwide southern Sudanese Diaspora, liaison officer Mariano Ngor from the Southern Sudan Government Mission Liaison Office in Canberra said on Saturday.

"The people of southern Sudan will choose to confirm the unity of Sudan or vote for the secession of southern Sudan and become an independent nation," he said in a statement.

"Sudan has seen some of Africa's bloodiest wars.

"More than three million southern Sudanese have been killed in two civil wars between the South and the North.

"If we can achieve peace after so much suffering and bloodshed, we will be setting an example that could be followed in other troubled parts of Africa."

Thousands of people are currently embarking on a pilgrimage to their southern homeland in anticipation of their nation splitting, he said.

There has already been violence, with a military spokesman in Southern Sudan saying on Saturday that an attack by a rebel group on the south's military had killed several people.

The polling stations in Australia will be at the Australian National University in Canberra; the Sydney Olympic Park Hockey Centre; the Whitten Oval at Footscray in Melbourne; the Perth Uniting Church City Conference Centre; and the Brisbane Convention and Exhibition Centre and Rydges Hotel.