Voting begins in Sudan's historic elections

Three days of voting began Sunday in Sudan's first competitive elections in nearly 25 years despite repeated opposition calls to delay the vote. In Khartoum, turnout was lighter than expected in the first few hours of voting, aside from a few enthusiastic supporters of President Omar al-Bashir.

The elections are an essential part of a 2005 peace deal that ended the north-south war that killed 2 million people over 21 years. They are designed to kick-start a democratic transformation and provide a democratically elected government to prepare for a crucial southern referendum next year. (AP)