Southern Sudan approves independence, will become an independent state in July - Polidicks

[url=http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-africa-12317927]BBC News[/url] [list][*]The recent Southern Sudanese independence referendum saw 99.57% of voters approve a split from the North. [*]Southern Sudan is now set to become the world's newest country on 9 July. [*]The Sudanese government and President have promised multiple times to honour the results, whatever they may be. [*]The country has previously fought two civil wars over the issue, spanning fifty years and causing 2.4 million deaths. [*]Negotiations are forthcoming on how to divide resources between the countries, and there is debate over what the new country should be called.[/list] [quote=BBC News][b]Some 99% of South Sudanese voted to secede from the north, according to the first complete results of the region's independence referendum.[/b] A total of 99.57 percent of those polled voted for independence, according to the referendum commission. Early counting had put the outcome of the ballot beyond doubt, indicating Southern Sudan had secured a mandate to become the world's newest nation. The poll was agreed as part of a 2005 peace deal to end two decades of war. Final results from the 9-15 January vote, which Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has said he will accept, are expected early next month. If the result is confirmed, the new country is set to formally declare its independence on 9 July. Hundreds of officials and diplomats gathered in Juba at the grave of rebel leader John Garang for the first official announcement of the results. [b]'The prayer of a country'[/b] The revered South Sudanese leader died in a plane crash just days after signing the January 2005 peace agreement ending more than 20 years of conflict between the black Christian-dominated south and the mainly Arab Muslim north. "The prayer I say the people of Southern Sudan have been waiting for for 55 years, the prayer of a country," Episcopalian Archbishop Daniel Deng said as he opened the ceremony. "Bless the name of this land, Southern Sudan," he said. According to the commission website, 3,851,994 votes were cast during the week-long ballot. Five of the 10 states in Sudan's oil-producing south showed a 99.9% vote for separation, the lowest vote was 95.5% in favour in the western state of Bahr al-Ghazal, bordering north Sudan, Reuters reports. North and south Sudan have suffered decades of conflict driven by religious and ethnic divides. Southern Sudan is one of the least developed areas in the world and many of its people have have long complained of mistreatment at the hands of the Khartoum government. The BBC's James Copnall, in Khartoum, says independence for the South now seems inevitable. Our correspondent adds that though the South Sudanese are celebrating that their dream of having their own country is a massive step closer there are still issues to resolved - including underdevelopment and inter-ethnic conflict. Tough negotiations remain on how to divide up economic resources between north and south - which has the bulk of oil, he adds.[/quote]

Good to see democracy.

Holy crap, a peaceful change in government in Sudan?! I know it's been coming for a while now, but It's so nice now that it's here.

Cool. :haw: [editline]31st January 2011[/editline] 193 countries bro

Hazzah!

They've been busy over there in Africa haven't they

In before America decides to "reunite" the Sudan. [highlight](User was banned for this post ("Extensive trolling" - GunFox))[/highlight]

I read in New Scientist that the end of the conflict would help eradicate a certain parasitic worm in the region, as it's one of the last remaining hotspots for it in the entire world. Previous efforts were unsuccessful because of the war.

[QUOTE=PvtCupcakes;27780969]In before America decides to "reunite" the Sudan.[/QUOTE] There is SO much wrong with this post.

[QUOTE=ASmellyOgre;27781366]There is SO much wrong with this post.[/QUOTE] There's a lot wrong with its poster too. Finally some good news :buddy:

Please just add Cupcake to your ignore list or at least report him for every time you see him post. He's just trolling us all.

i guess this is a good thing, for now.

Hot damn, hello "Faith in Humanity," where have you been all my life?

Hey, good news for Africa then

No, when will people learn that war is not the fucking answer. You have different religions, not a reason to kill thousands. Now the country has split. Although i like this, why did it take so long to reach this peaceful resolution?

This is the Southern Sudanese president: [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Salva_Kiir_Mayardit.jpg[/img] Badass

[QUOTE=Explosions;27781990]This is the Southern Sudanese president: [img_thumb]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Salva_Kiir_Mayardit.jpg[/img_thumb] Badass[/QUOTE] Holy shit. Do they adress him as "Your Badassness,"?

[QUOTE=Explosions;27781990]This is the Southern Sudanese president: [img_thumb]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Salva_Kiir_Mayardit.jpg[/img_thumb] Badass[/QUOTE] I'm voting for him. [editline]31st January 2011[/editline] And I live in America.

Good on Southern Sudan, about time they get independence. [QUOTE=Explosions;27781990]This is the Southern Sudanese president: [img_thumb]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/27/Salva_Kiir_Mayardit.jpg[/img_thumb] Badass[/QUOTE] That is one snazzy hat. Hopefully his policies are the same.

[QUOTE=PvtCupcakes;27780969]In before America decides to "reunite" the Sudan.[/QUOTE] I really hope you're a troll, else you're a dumbass.

I guess to be clear this is southern sudan [img]http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/64/LocationSouthernSudan.svg/250px-LocationSouthernSudan.svg.png[/img] You go you little red blob you

What about western Sudan, don't get me started with eastern Sudan, oh boy.

Pretty amazing how smooth this went

That's awesome! Africa, little by little, is becoming a better place.

2 weeks after new countries form, war breaks out between the two.

Countries are supposed to merge, not split, if we are to have a truly peaceful future.

[QUOTE=LordApocca;27784277]Countries are supposed to merge, not split, if we are to have a truly peaceful future.[/QUOTE] The Southern Sudanese want nothing to do with the North. What if your state was constantly harassed and by it's neighbor and millions of your people were killed? Would you still want to be a part of that nation?

[QUOTE=Lone_Star94;27783616]2 weeks after new countries form, war breaks out between the two.[/QUOTE] No, the beauty of it is that they won't. The North is mostly Muslim and the South is mostly Christian. They have had disagreements about how to rule the country with many instances of the Muslim majority treating the Christian minority poorly. This was also a peaceful succession done by a vote, there is no bad blood from fighting for independance and while the Muslims would of prefered they stayed united, they respect the Christians descision and are happy to let them self-govern. Sudan is poor and criminal activities are more common, but this is something that they are perfectly ok with.

[QUOTE=Explosions;27784351]The Southern Sudanese want nothing to do with the North. What if your state was constantly harassed and by it's neighbor and millions of your people were killed? Would you still want to be a part of that nation?[/QUOTE] It's like merging Germany and France together; it just doesn't work.

Democracy in action.