Southern Sudan extends referendum deadline

Khartoum, 28 Nov-(ANA)-Southern Sudan has given potential voters an extra week to register for January's referendum on possible independence.

The authorities said moving the deadline to 8 December would not affect the vote, scheduled for 9 January.

The referendum is a consequence of a peace deal that ended a two-decade long civil war between the north and south.

But the process has been hit by several delays and there are fears rising tensions could bring new violence.

Achier Deng, a member of the Southern Sudan Referendum Commission, said the timeframe had been revised for "technical reasons".

But he insisted that this "will not compromise the date of 9 January," the AFP news agency reports. (ANA)

FA/ANA/28 November 2010--------