Sudan Voters Overwhelmingly Back Secession

It looks like the world is about to have a new country. Early vote tallies released from southern Sudan yesterday lean overwhelmingly toward secession, the New York Times reports. In the regional capital of Juba, more than 95% voted to break away. The full vote tally won’t be announced until Feb. 14, and the actual secession won’t take place until July 9, but many in the south are already celebrating.

“Based on early reports of vote counting results, it appears virtually certain that the results will be in favor of secession,” the Carter Center tells the AFP, confirming that the vote had been on the up-and-up. Other election monitors agreed. “I would say free and peaceful voting took place, with an overwhelming turnout” and “only isolated cases of intimidation,” the EU’s mission chief said at a news conference, according to Al Jazeera. (More Sudan stories.)