Can South Sudan Gain Independence Peacefully?

It’s a historic moment in African history. South Sudan will secede from the North, which is predominantly Muslim. Though  Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir campaigned on a promise to maintain unity, he has told the South that he will now accept secession. But last Thursday, fighting broke out in a battalion of Southern Sudanese militiamen who refused to redeploy to the North. The apparent mutiny killed at least 50 people.  Will the referendum results allow South Sudan independence through peace?  

James Copnall, BBC’s Sudan correspondent reports on the new country.