Concurrently with the referendum for Southern Sudan secession in-country, voting centers were established

in eight countries to serve the diaspora population, including this one in Alexandria, Virginia.

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Elijah Alien Anyieth registers to vote in the referendum. He came from Richmond, Virg. but many traveled much further.

He received a voter's ID and had to return two weeks later to cast his vote.

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The voting booth can be seen in the next room. Roughly 900 voted at the

District of Columbia Referendum Center, some coming from as far as Michigan.

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Hundreds of Sudanese, most of them Southern, gathered in Freedom Square in

downtown Washington, DC to support the referendum for Southern secession.

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Nhial Chuol Tut, 30, works as an observer for the referendum process.

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Paul Mator Manyok, center, checks his cell phone as he and other Sudanese gather to celebrate the last day of voter registration.

6/11

Mayak Machar stands outside the home of Ezekiel Gatkuoth, the government of Southern Sudan's head of mission

in the United States. Machar plans on returning to Sudan following the South's secession.

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A man waits for an autograph from Nyapal Yual, a Sudanese singer. She and fellow band members

are traveling across the U.S. to raise the morale of the Sudanese in diaspora.

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A man holds up a ballot during the vote counting.

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In Washington, DC, 865 people cast ballots. On the left are 424 ballots in favor of secession (842 in total) and on the right

are 9 cast in favor of unity (21 in total). 99% voted in favor of secession across the U.S.

10/11

Government of Southern Sudan Head of Mission Ezekiel Lol Gatkuoth dances at a Southern Sudanese community celebration.

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