Sudan has a long history of violence. The northern and southern halves of the nation fought each other over differences in culture, race and religion. Southerners felt that they were being unfairly treated, which is why many wanted independence. The resulting 20-year war for self-rule killed more than two million people and caused millions more to leave their homes to avoid the conflict.

Thankfully, it finally came to an end in 2005. Under the peace agreement, the southerners were allowed to choose whether they wanted to be independent or not. This is called a referendum, where people are given the right to accept or reject an idea. The date for the referendum was January 9 this year. Four million Southern Sudanese cast their votes. Many of them had moved to the north years earlier. But, they returned in the thousands, often undertaking long and difficult journeys, just to have their voices heard. There were even families who left behind their old homes and businesses forever, to start afresh in South Sudan.

As expected, the majority opted for independence.