Early Sudan returns heavily for secession

KHARTOUM, Sudan, Jan. 21 (UPI) -- Preliminary figures indicate the people of southern Sudan overwhelmingly want the African nation split into two countries, officials said.

The BBC reported officials said 99 percent of those who voted want southern Sudan to split off into a separate country from the north.

"The trend clearly shows that secession is the willing option of the two options of the referendum," the Voice of America quoted voting commission official George Benjamin as saying.

A senior official of the southern Sudan referendum commission said that, barring any court challenges, it would announce the final outcome of the vote on Feb. 7, a week earlier than originally scheduled, VOA said Friday.

President Omar al-Bashir has said he would accept the result of the vote, which was conducted after years of war.

International observers said the referendum was conducted freely and fairly, the BBC reported.