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Hundreds of thousands wait to vote in Sudan independence referendum (Xan Rice, 1/09/11, guardian.co.uk)

Hundreds of thousands of people from across southern Sudan began queueing from before dawn today to cast their ballots at the start of the week-long independence referendum. The poll is certain to result in Africa's largest country splitting in two, with the non-Muslim south seceding from the Arab-led north.

In Aweil, the capital of Northern Bahr el Ghazal state, Augustine Ngor emerged slowly from the primary school classroom, a brown towel wrapped around his shoulders for warmth, a silver torch in his hand, his right thumb inked in purple and a smile brightening his weathered face. He had not slept the previous night; how could he before a day like this?

Before arriving at the polling station at 2am, he had prayed and read the Bible, especially Isaiah 18, which refers to the hardships of "a people tall and smooth-skinned" – taken by southern Sudanese to refer to themselves – and "a banner raised on the mountains", interpreted as the flag of their independent state.

"We have suffered for 55 years at the hands of our Arab brothers," said Ngor, 70. "And now at last we will have our freedom."