The voting continues tonight in Southern Sudan, with a mostly peaceful referendum widely expected to formally sever ties between the northern Sudanese government and the secessionist south.
Despite little violence in the voting, there seems to be rising fighting along the border, with officials reporting over 60 people believed to be killed in the disputed Abyei region over the past three days.
According to a top referendum official, the clashes are between the police force of the region and a tribal militia associated with a nomadic Misseriya group. Northern media reported the clashes as a function of the southern army moving north into the region.
The referendum began this weekend and will continue through the week. Though it is a foregone conclusion that the southern portion will secede, exactly what will happen to Abyei remains to be seen, as Sudanese officials have threatened to start a war to keep the region under their control.