The counting of the ballot papers from the 29 voting centres across all Abyei regions is expected to be rounded up at the end of Wednesday.

The Spokesperson of the Abyei Area Community Referendum Commission, Romano Jon, told journalists yesterday, 29 October, that the voting process went very smoothly across all regions of Abyei and the counting of votes would start that morning.  

Jon described both the registration and voting exercises as very successful. They took place without any interruption from neither internal nor external security threats.

“As we are talking, all the voting centres are closed, according to the schedule and all journalists are welcome to witness the counting activities at the centres in or outside Abyei town,” Jon said.

He also explained that “according to initial reports we received, the turn-out was very high in centres like Maker and Nyong where the average was over 90 per cent”.

He explained that the initial results, before they are announced on the 31 October, must pass through the Referendum Court in Abyei town in order to be legalised.

At the end of Wednesday the Commission is expected to announce the preliminary results in Abyei town.

Since yesterday hundreds of international and South Sudanese dignitaries started to arrive in Abyei from Juba to witness the final announcement of the results, among them the Chief Inspector of the South Sudanese National Police, General Pieng Deng Majok and the former Deputy Minister of Interior General Majak Agot.

File photo

Related:

Exclusive: Security undisrupted in northern Abyei throughout vote (29 October 2013)

Press release: AU strongly condemns the holding of a unilateral “referendum” in Abyei (29 October 2013)