JUBA, Sudan, Jan. 11 (UPI) -- Despite reports of lingering violence in Sudan's troubled Darfur region, Washington said a vote under way in South Sudan is off to a "very good start".
Sudanese voters during the weekend started casting ballots on a referendum meant to determine if South Sudan becomes an independent nation. The measure is part of a comprehensive peace agreement reached in 2005 that ended one of the bloodiest civil wars in modern history.
Scott Gration, the U.S. special envoy to Sudan, joined U.S. Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., in touring Sudan and meeting with Sudanese leader during the referendum process.
Gration in a statement from Juba, the capital of South Sudan, described the referendum as a "milestone" that will have ramifications across the African continent. Kerry said the referendum was a Sudanese process leading toward peace.
"There is a robust observer presence at all polling stations, and we think it is off to a very, very good start," added State Department spokesman P.J. Crowley.
Human rights groups, however, worry the referendum is overshadowing lingering violence in Sudan's troubled Darfur region.
"There are clear signs that the situation in Darfur is getting worse," said Jehanne Henry, Sudan researcher at Human Rights Watch, in a statement. "But the international community is failing to monitor and respond properly to what is happening in Darfur". UPI
