Violent Start to Historic Independence Vote in Sudan

Filed under: News, Politics, Race and Civil Rights

Twenty police officers were slain in a disputed section of the Sudan, causing concern that the historic vote for independence this week could be marked by increased bloodshed.

Arab tribesmen and government-supported militia are being blamed for the attack in Abyei, which is in southern Sudan.

Early reports say the voting is peaceful even though 40 people had been killed over the weekend in election-related fighting. In portions of the south, according to a New York Times report, voters are dancing and singing in anticipation of new contruction and jobs they believe will come if the south successfully breaks away from the northern part of the country.

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Sudan's vote, which began Sunday, could end up breaking the huge nation into two separate countries: north and south. Over seven days of voting, election observers are expecting a vote to split the nation.

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Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has said he would follow the vote results, even if the government-controlled North, based in Khartoum, would lose control of the vast oil revenues in the South.

But the dispute over the oil-rich Abyei region in the central part of the nation could give al-Bashir the cover he needs to hold on to the south. That region had also been promised an independent vote, but it has yet to take place.

It's hard to tell exactly who is to blame for the increased violence in Abyei, with representatives from the north and south pointing at each other.

The election has drawn the interest of influential international observers, such as actor George Clooney and former U.S. President Jimmy Carter.

While high-profile election watchers like Clooney and Carter will bring additional news media attention to the Sudan vote, I hope they understand that media attention alone won't stop greed from ruling the day.

Why would the heavily-armed North allow the oil-rich South to waltz away from their union without further bloodshed?

　

 

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