Sudan, storms up north, fires down south.

[frigidmagi]

First off we got protests up North with students activity trying to follow the Egyptian/Tunisia model.

CSM

[quote]Protesters in northern Sudan gained their first “martyrâ€

[Charon]

99.57%? Something about that smells fishy to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure at least 70% of Southern Sudanese voted for independence, hell I'm sure 80% voted for independence. But over 99%? I'm not sure that kind of consensus is possible.

That being said, good luck Southern Sudan.

[frigidmagi]

Hmm, it was an overseen election, there were observers. Let me also point out these people have been beaten, raped, killed, burnt out of their homes had their children kidnapped and enslaved by the North for decades. I mean the ballot could practically have been written this way.

A: Would you like to remind under the authority of the Arab who led a campaign of terror for the last 30 odd years? The one where your sister was raped, your village burned to the ground and oh yeah your cousins were kidnapped and enslaved and you haven't seen them in 20 years.

B: Get the fuck away from those assholes.

Suddenly it seems like an easy vote yes?

To be fair, the guys who would vote no, mostly nomadic Arabic groups, weren't allowed to vote, as the regions where they would have voted were excluded from the process.

[Norseman]

99.57%? Something about that smells fishy to me. Don't get me wrong, I'm sure at least 70% of Southern Sudanese voted for independence, hell I'm sure 80% voted for independence. But over 99%? I'm not sure that kind of consensus is possible.

That being said, good luck Southern Sudan.

I'm fairly sure the Norwegian union dissolution referendum, 1905 was handled in a reasonable and legitimate fashion and it had an even greater proportion of yes votes. Sometimes everyone just happens to agree.

[Charon]

Huh. I guess that sort of consensus is possible after all. Carry on.