Sudanese strongman leader Omar Hassan al-Bashir kept his word to allow the historic vote for independence to go forward without government interference.
So oil-rich South Sudan voted almost unanimously to declare independence from the government-controlled north in preliminary election results announced today.
Now the hard work will begin. And the world will see whether al-Bashir is fair to the south in establishing a new border with the new nation in the south. al-Bashir should equitably split oil revenues with the south and work to cease the fighting in the blood-drenched Abyei region.
It's hard to believe that President al-Bashir, a former army officer who took power in 1989, could suddenly see the light and end the violent oppression he has led against the south during his time in office.
Al-Bashir has been accused of genocide and crimes against humanity in the Darfur region of the country by the International Criminal Court. He became the first sitting head of state to be indicted by the ICC though his indictment was opposed by both Russia and China.
But maybe, just maybe, a leopard can change his spots. Al-Bashir may have simply lost his appetite for blood.
In 2005, al-Bashir promised the independence vote to the south in exchange for ending the long-running civil war in Sudan that took an estimated 2 million lives.
While he still bears close watch and an skeptical eye, al-Bashir should be credited for allowing the vote to go forward without corrupting it and letting the world see how badly the south wants its independence.
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