The Guilfordian

Issue date: 4/23/10 Section: World

In 2005, the miracle many Sudanese had been waiting for finally happened. After over 20 years of fighting, the Second Sudanese Civil War finally came to an end. Now, less than five years later, Sudan has made yet another step toward achieving peace.

For the first time in 24 years, Sudan held a multi-party, democratic election. At first, the election was due to take place in March and April of 2009, but it was delayed due to problems with voting preparation.

Representatives from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), a faction originating in southern Sudan that emerged during the Civil War, will be among the groups to field a candidate in the election. The SPLM intended to stage a campaign against the current president, Omar al-Bashir.

Voting occurred from April 11 to April 15, 2010. The Sudanese, both men and women, voted candidates into both the presidency and the National Assembly. Specifically, this vote included the election of the national president, the parliament of Sudan, the southern Sudan presidency and parliament, the state governors, and the state assemblies.

The results, expected to be announced on April 20, were delayed until a later date.

"We cannot set a definite date to announce the results because (the counting) is a very complicated process," al-Hadi Mohammed Ahmed, head of the NEC Corporation's technical committee, told the Agence France-Presse.

This election, a long-time coming for the Sudanese, is expected to further solidify the peace between northern and southern Sudan.

A divide has existed for over 60 years. In 1946, the British and Egyptian government officially labeled north and south as separate regions. It wasn't until Sudan was granted its independence in 1953 that the two were once again united.

Even after unification, there was tension between the larger northern region and the southern region. Christians and Animists mainly occupy southern Sudan, while northern Sudan is inhabited primarily by Muslims. Two cultures occupying the same country contributed to the strain between the two regions.

Also, those in the smaller southern region feared a lack of representation in the affairs of the Sudanese government without an official federal government to establish equality between the north and the south.

A civil war broke out between the north and the south that lasted for almost 20 years and spilled into the Second Sudanese Civil War. Peace came in the form of a treaty, which was signed in 2005.

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