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| South Sudan head snubs presidency | South Sudan head snubs presidency |
| (20 minutes later) | |
| South Sudan leader Salva Kiir is to seek re-election in that post rather than tackling Omar al-Bashir for the national presidency, his party says. | South Sudan leader Salva Kiir is to seek re-election in that post rather than tackling Omar al-Bashir for the national presidency, his party says. |
| The SPLM will instead field a northern Muslim, Yassir Arman, in the national elections due in April. | |
| The BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum says this is where the party's priorities lie - in the south. | The BBC's James Copnall in Khartoum says this is where the party's priorities lie - in the south. |
| The SPLM ended its two-decade war with the north in 2005 and joined a unity government but tensions are high. | The SPLM ended its two-decade war with the north in 2005 and joined a unity government but tensions are high. |
| A referendum is due next year on whether the oil-rich south should become independent. | A referendum is due next year on whether the oil-rich south should become independent. |
| Our correspondent say the mainly Christian and animist south is likely to vote to secede from the mainly Muslim north. | |
| The April poll will be the first national elections in 24 years. | The April poll will be the first national elections in 24 years. |
| I'm confident the SPLM would win in the south, and at the national level Yassir ArmanSPLM presidential candidate Critical year ahead for Sudan | |
| Our correspondent says more than three-quarters of the population live in the north, so it is likely that a northern candidate will win the election. | Our correspondent says more than three-quarters of the population live in the north, so it is likely that a northern candidate will win the election. |
| Mr Kiir also does not have the broad national support the late SPLM leader John Garang enjoyed, our reporter says. | Mr Kiir also does not have the broad national support the late SPLM leader John Garang enjoyed, our reporter says. |
| Mr Arman is already the SPLM leader in the north but President Bashir, who faces an international arrest warrant over alleged war crimes in Darfur, is considered likely to be re-elected. | |
| Mr Bashir was officially nominated for the presidential poll on Tuesday. | |
| Mr Arman told the BBC's Network Africa programme he was up to the challenge. | |
| "I'm confident the SPLM would win in the south, and at the national level." | |
| Under the peace deal, the SPLM already runs the semi-autonomous south. | |
| The elections have been described by the UN as some of the most complicated ever. | |
| All Sudanese will vote for a president, parliament and state governors, while southerners will also vote for their regional president and parliament. | |
| Our correspondent says that if re-elected as southern leader, Mr Kiir would be well placed to become leader of the new country, if the south does vote for independence. | |
| After years of conflict, Southern Sudan is one of the poorest areas of the world. |