Report from Emmanuel Kachoul:
Hundreds of people today turned out in large numbers at freedom Square, War Tit, just to mention a few, almost all the centers in Kuajok the capital of Warrap State queued up in very long lines, early in the morning from 2- 3 AM Sudan local time, with high emotions in order to cast their votes.
Other voters came to the polling centers covering themselves up with the blankets and bed sheets to protect them from the cold.
Speaking to some of the voters at Kuajok Secondary polling centre, a 60 year old Clement Chol ,after casting his vote, came out from the centre smiling with a great relief and joy expressed up on his face.
Chol said “he came to the polling centre since 3.00AM this morning, hoping to be the first to cast his vote, but unfortunately he found many people had already queued up at the polling centre earlier than him.
Chol said “he was very happy to finally vote for freedom today ,because this is the day that marks the end of oppression and he has been waiting for it all a long while living in a kind of slavery for the last 55 years in his own country”.
Governor of Warrap State, Nayndeng Malek ululating with high emotion, SPLM Oye, Southern Sudan Oye, She told PIO after casting her vote that, “she is so happy to see the people of Warrap turning out in high numbers to cast their vote this morning. This is a good spirit, which shows that people of Southern Sudan are for a change and therefore she urged the people to come out and vote”
Nyandeng declared that she has voted for separation because she wanted to be free from the oppression.
Speaking to PIO at the polling centre in Kuajok Secondary School this morning, Aniekk Tong Atak, Minister of physical Infrastructure for Warrap State expressed that he cannot believe to reach this long awaited day for the last 55 years for Southern Sudan to exercise their fundamental right of voting for freedom.”
Aniekk said he has voted for separation because this means peace and freedom for him.
Teresa Nyalok ,a 30 year old woman, Said “she does not like Arabs because they killed two of her brothers and now she is happy for voting for separation”
80 year spear master Majak Akan told PIO that “he has voted for separation in order to freely exercise his traditional belief without anyone interfering with him.”
In another development, PIO/Radio Miraya colleague, Adau Koul travelled to Twic County (Turalei) boardering with Abyei on Saturday to provide the coverage on referendum along the boarder area. Therefore, in an interview with the commissioner of Twic county Dominic Deng Kuoc confirmed that there has been heavy fighting between Miseryia Armed Group and SPLA forces at River Kiir that left 1 dead and 13 wounded from SPLA and 2 dead from Misereyia Armed Group.
The SPLA wounded soldiers have been brought to Turalei last night and now are undergoing medical treatment in Turalei hospital.
This morning I talked to Deng Arop, the head of Abyei who said that the situation is calm and thus, he is consulting with the group from Miseryia to talk and try to resolve the situation.
Nevertheless, the voting in Kuajok today ended up peacefully and now I am going to see the counting exercise.