Crossroads

Sudan stands at a crossroads with the people of the South set to vote in January on whether to become independent. This referendum is part of a 2005 peace deal which brought to an end a devastating 22-year civil war which left two million people dead and the same number homeless. Now, with the South likely to secede, Sudan's borders and history may have to be rewritten.
Sudan, with 44 million people Africa largest nation, is rich in diversity and tradition but it is deeply divided along tribal lines. Sudan is on the verge of splitting in two with a potential for more fragmentation in the months and years ahead - a break up that could quickly deteriorate into another bloody conflict involving nations far beyond its borders.

After gaining independence in 1956, the nation has spent the best part of four decades fighting two civil wars. The most recent resulted in the death of two million people - and officially ended five years ago with the Comprehensive Peace Agreement. With the upcoming referendum on January 9, at least eight million people in the south may vote themselves into becoming citizens of the world's newest nation. But its borders still have to be decided. And there is a possibility negotiations may collapse into a free-for-all where the North and the South battle for the best they can get.

South Sudan has more than 400 different tribes, and it is not religion that defines identity there, tribe does. With hundreds of tribes and hundreds of languages and dialects, the South is host to a very diverse population. It is possible to find a Muslim, a Christian and an Animist in one family. Many of the smaller tribes of Southern Sudan are concerned about being dominated by the bigger tribes, they fear the hegemony of the Dinka tribe since Salva Kiir and most of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) leadership are Dinka.

Anyhow, for you to get a general idea about the referendum process you could check this article http://www.aljazeera.net/NR/exeres/D42A6D7A-18EB-4D0C-9E6F-D86E137701E5.htm