So far so good in Sudan, EU says

JUBA, Sudan, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Whatever the outcome of the Sudanese referendum, it's important for leaders from both sides to communicate peacefully, a European delegation said.

The Sudan People's Liberation Movement, the ruling party in Juba, announced Wednesday that the 60 percent turnout threshold, which allows the result to be considered binding, had been reached.

Mariya Nedelcheva, the European lawmaker who led the observer mission to South Sudan, said the vote was being conducted with few reports of major violence.

"The north and southern Sudan are interdependent and whatever the outcome is, it will be vital to maintain open channels of dialogue and a cooperative relationship -- for the sake of all the people of Sudan", she added.

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir pledged before voting began that he would respect the outcome of the referendum.

Human rights groups complained the referendum is overshadowing lingering conflict in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.

Skirmishes were reported in Abyei, meanwhile, which was originally included in the referendum but Nedelcheva said that for the most part, the referendum was moving forward in a "peaceful atmosphere."

Voting ends Saturday. Preliminary results are expected to be announced by Feb. 2 with a final tally to be declared by Feb. 14.