Of more than 3.8 million ballots cast, less than 15,000 were for continued
unity, the Southern Sudan
Referendum Commission said.
In five of south Sudan's 10 states, the vote was 99.9 per cent in favour of
separation. The lowest figure endorsing secession was 95.5 per cent.
International observers had earlier hailed the Jan 9 to 15 vote as largely
free and fair.
"Anywhere else you see these kinds of numbers, you're going to cry foul,"
said one Western diplomat who travelled to Sudan to observe the vote.
"In this case, we're pretty confident that that is pretty much exactly
the reflection of the voters' wishes."
Sunday's announcement was the first official release of results, but they are
still preliminary until finalised in Khartoum, the northern capital, early
in February.
After that, South Sudan will split from the north on July 9, according to the
timetable laid down in a 2005 peace deal that ended the civil war between
Sudan's north and its south.
The vote on self-rule was the final part of the agreement ending Africa's
longest civil war, which ran for a total of almost 40 years since Sudan's
independence from Britain in 1956.
More than two million people died as the largely Christian and animist south
fought for independence from the Muslim-ruled north.
Salva Kiir, south Sudan's president, celebrated with crowds who gathered to
hear the results on Sunday, but cautioned them to be patient ahead of the
official secession.
"The project has not finished," he said.
"We cannot declare independence today. Let us respect the agreement. We
must go slowly so we can reach safely to where we are going."
