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South Sudan votes to secede
South Sudan votes to secede
South Sudan has voted to secede from the north after offical results from January referendum showed landslide in favour
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Bashir said he welcomed the results of the referendum in an address on state television
South Sudan has officially voted to secede from the north after the results of a January referendum showed a landslide vote for independence.
Official figures released on Monday showed that 98.83 per cent of voters from the south chose to secede from the north.
The results, displayed at an announcement ceremony in Khartoum, revealed that out of 3,837,406 valid ballots cast, only 44,888 votes, or 1.17 per cent, favoured the status quo of unity with the north.
The event in the Sudanese capital was attended by Omar al-Bashir, Sudan's president, and Salva Kiir, the southern leader.
"Today we received these results and we accept and welcome these results because they represent the will of the southern people," al-Bashir said on state television.
"But we are committed to the links between the north and the south, and we are committed to good relations based on co-operation."
ENDS
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