[Montréal, Québec, Canada -12°C] Yesterday, February 7, 2011, official final results from the self-determination referendum were released by the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission and the Southern Sudan Referendum Bureau, with the details outlined on the Southern Sudan Referendum 2011 graphic below:
(source: Southern Sudan Referendum Commission & Southern Sudan Referendum Bureau)
As expected, a near unanimous choice for independence was cast by the more than 3.8 million voters who voted 98.83% for secession. The Governments of Sudan and Southern Sudan now have until July 9 — when the declaration of independence is scheduled — to negotiate through a series of unresolved issues.
On January 27, I spoke with Bonifacio Taban Kuich, a reporter based in the Southern Sudanese town of Bentiu in the heart of oil the producing region of Unity State. His reporting can be read at the Sudan Tribune as well as on Voice of America. He tells us about the situation in Unity state: the return of over 100,000 internally displaced people (IDPs) from Khartoum and elsewhere; the military buildup of SAF and SPLA troops in the border regions; the reactions to the referendum results of northern merchants living in the south and of southern oil workers; and other issues affecting Unity State.
The following audio report podcast taken from the interview was aired Wednesday, February 2 during weekly the African Issues show, Amandla on Montréal’s CKUT Radio 90.3 FM.
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