An internationally brokered peace treaty in 2005 ended decades of civil war between the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum and the black African southern region. The accord called for national elections, now set for this April, and for a referendum in the south, next January, on secession.
Sudan Heads Toward Historic But Shaky Vote
Published April 2, 2010
Sudan's first multi-party presidential and parliamentary elections in 24 years are set for April 11, but with just days to go, the main opposition presidential candidate has withdrawn from the race, throwing the legitimacy of the election into question.
The elections are mandated under the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement, which ended two decades of civil war between the primarily Muslim and Arab-speaking north and rebels in the south. Another requirement of the CPA is a referendum in January 2011 in which the south will decide whether to split from the north.
But this month, when voters go to the polls from April 11-13, they will decide on the president of Sudan, National Assembly, president of the semi-autonomous Government of Southern Sudan, Southern Sudan Legislative Assembly and governors and assemblies for Sudan's 25 states...
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Fred de Sam Lazaro reports on the expectations and high hopes of the predominantly Christian southern Sudanese voters, who are heading to the polls in this historic bid to separate from Sudan's Ar
Celebrating expected secession, south Sudan prepares for transition's challenges.
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Larisa Epatko is a reporter-producer for the PBS NewsHour's foreign affairs beat, producing multimedia reports for the Web site and contributing to the broadcast. She runs the World View...
