Presidential race could rattle fragile Sudan

Presidential race could rattle fragile Sudan

Baltimore Sun - October 5, 2008

The U.S.-brokered coalition government that has run this country since 2005 has survived Cabinet reshuffles, oil revenue disputes and even armed skirmishes this year.

But can the partnership that ended a 21-year civil war between Muslim Arab northerners and mostly Christian and animist rebels from the south survive a knock-down, drag-out presidential race?

TThat's what many have been asking since the Sudan Peoples' Liberation Movement (SPLM) announced its chairman Salva Kiir would seek to unseat President Omar Hassan Ahmed Bashir in next year's election.

The election promises not only to select the next leader of Africa's largest country, but it could also play a key role in determining whether Sudan breaks apart. In 2011, southerners will vote on secession, and their decision will depend partly on who wins the presidency. Read More.