Sudan Dispatch: Uncertainty in Abyei

Abyei, Sudan—The week-long referendum on southern independence in Sudan has ended. The southern government is confident that turnout reached the 60 percent threshold needed to make the vote viable, and the Carter Center has issued a statement saying that the referendum was credible. Reports indicate that the vote will overwhelmingly be for secession. But all is not settled, as diplomatic attention turns toward another disputed part of Sudan: the border area of Abyei. It’s unclear whether traditional forces will be able to maintain peace in Abyei, as they have for years—and what sustained violence might mean for the future of the region.  Read the rest of the article as it appeared . . .