The history of Africa’s largest country has finally come to an end. Official preliminary results issued by the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission show that 98.83% of voters said ‘yes’ to secession. The declaration of independence ceremony will be held on 9th of July after a period of transition.

Southerners living in the south the majority of the electoral roll have massively backed independence with a 99% of the share. Ironically, the highest support for independence has been registered in a southern state called Union (99.98%). The highest percentage of ‘no’ vote amounted to 4.49%, in the southern state of Western Bahr El Ghazal.

By contrast, the vote against independence was much higher among Southerners living in the north of Sudan, amounting to 42%.

Sudan faces an uncertain future

As independence of South Sudan becomes an indisputable fact, there are several key issues still on the table, such as the intricate question of Abyei, a territory in between the north and the south where voters were to decide whether to remain in the North or secede alongside the south. The plebiscite could not finally be held since Khartum and Juba did not reach an agreement on the electoral roll. That is one of the issues northern president Omar al-Bashir and his southern counterpart Salva Kiir Mayardit will have to settle in the near future. President Kiir said he was “optimistic” about agreeing a peaceful solution to the dispute. Other key issues that will have to be negotiated are debt sharing, oil benefits and the final status of Southerners living in the North and vice versa.

Furthermore, the Darfur conflict remains unsolved as violence unleashed again in recent weeks. Even though a referendum on Darfur’s self-government had been scheduled for 2010, the plebiscite was not finally held. Two of the main opposed factions committed last Saturday to negotiate a “peaceful solution” to the conflict.

Further information:

• Referendum Commission: full results
  
• Previously on Nationalia:Thousands return to Sudan to vote in independence referendum