Sudan prepares for independence referendum

On the eve of a referendum that almost all observers will lead to the world’s newest country, Sudan President Omar al-Bashir said the people of Southern Sudan are not ready to rule themselves. In an exclusive interview with al-Jazeera TV, he said southern leaders do not have the ability to create the institutions necessary for a stable state.
He also hinted at renewed conflict over the contested region of Abyei, which straddles the North-South border in Sudan, and will have its own referendum on which side to join if the country splits.
Meanwhile, the people of Southern Sudan are jubilant. Father Benjamin Madol Akot, a local Catholic priest, says the entire region has waited a long time for their freedom.
“They have been struggling for a long time…people are really very happy to vote for their own country,” he said.
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