October 19, 2010
THANKS, W:
Will January vote bring war or peace to south Sudan? (Peter Martell, 10/19/10, BBC News)
Former south Sudanese rebel Diing Dhel stretches his T-shirt to show its slogan: "Referendum is your golden chance for total independence."It is a common message plastered on posters and banners here in the southern capital, Juba, as the war-damaged region prepares for a historic vote due on 9 January 2011.
Excitement is high, with many believing the south will choose secession and divide Africa's largest nation in two.
Every month hundreds take to the streets in cities across the south waving flags and chanting slogans demanding the vote is held on time. But with just over 80 days to go, much preparation still needs to be done.
"We have fought and waited for years for the chance to decide our future," said Mr Dhel, whose shirt carries a logo showing chains being cut from black fists, set against a backdrop of the southern flag.
The referendum is part of the 2005 peace deal that brought to an end more than two decades of civil war fought over ethnicity, oil, religion and resources.
No one cares about Africa, so the liberation of South Sudan is one of W's least recognized legacies.
