Debate Over Sudan

Southern Sudan, which is mostly animist and Christian, will be having a vote on whether or not to secede from the mostly Arab and Muslim North. Due to the frequent civil wars in the North, Southern Sudan is likely to vote to secede. The vote is required by a peace accord from 2005 which ended more than 20 years of civil war. Leaders from North and South Sudan, as well as from Egypt and Libya, are meeting to discuss what will happen should the South secede. Egypt and Libya both view Sudan as their back yard, and do not want any violence to occur during the secession, as it would cause a large flow of refugees into their countries. The Sudanese government has been acting violently towards the South, though there hasn't been any combat. North Sudanese leader al-Bashir said that the loss of the South would be bad but would not be the end of the world, and that, should the South secede, he is going to Islamize the North, making Islam the official religion and Arabic the official language.

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