No time for vote, Sudan official says

A SENIOR Sudanese official has said it is impossible to hold a referendum on the future of the north-south border region of Abyei as planned.

Leaders in Sudan's regions are in a tug-of-war over oil-rich Abyei. Dirdiri Ahmed, a member of Sudan's northern ruling party, said talks failed to yield an agreement on who is eligible to vote in the region. He said there wasn't sufficient time to hold the referendum.