STEVE INSKEEP, Host:
NPR's Frank Langfitt drove out from the southern capital of Juba to visit some rural polling sites yesterday.
FRANK LANGFITT: Peres Juan Ebele is a motivated voter. She walked an hour in her purple flip-flops to be among the first to the polls this morning. Ebele has a message in English for the government of northern Sudan.
M: They now going bye-bye.
(SOUNDBITE OF LAUGHTER)
LANGFITT: Like many southern Sudanese, Ebele despises the leaders in Khartoum, the northern capital. Ebele, who's about 40, says the north began raiding her village before she was born.
M: (Foreign language spoken)
LANGFITT: Mathias Mogul Mohammad(ph) is a local elder who's chairing the polling station. He says 24 villagers died in a massacre as early as 1969.
M: There are more attacks.
LANGFITT: How many altogether? Any idea?
M: Oh, that cannot be counted. Imagine in a war of 17 years, from time to time, they make attacks. And even this place was a lot (unintelligible) vacant. People all went out.
LANGFITT: How long was it vacant for?
M: For more than 20 years.
LANGFITT: In 2005, the United States brokered a peace agreement. This week's referendum, which runs through Saturday, was part of the deal. Turnout was heavy yesterday, with lines running 500 deep in Juba.
(SOUNDBITE OF CROWD CHATTER)
LANGFITT: But Cole Mannas(ph), the United Nations election observer, says things seem to be going well.
M: This is the far center(ph) of Khartoum. It's going on peaceful, and that's what we want.
LANGFITT: And have there been any reports of any problems here in the Juba area or south of Juba?
M: Not at all.
LANGFITT: In the days leading up to the vote, there were military clashes in southern Sudan's oil-rich unity state and tribal violence in the disputed region of Abyei. The numbers are fuzzy, but more than two dozen people may have been killed. Polling on Sunday, though, appeared to pass without incident.
U: (Singing in foreign language)
LANGFITT: Mogga Jackson is a Baptist preacher in the village of Ganji Payam. He's wrapping up a small Sunday service beneath a tree. Jackson says he'll vote for independence, because the north has ignored the basic needs of poor villages like his - things like health care and clean water.
M: There's no doctors which can come and help us. Water isn't available. We have to go to the stream, and get water from the streams.
LANGFITT: Frank Langfitt, NPR News, Juba, Southern Sudan.