A woman sits in a mosquito tent in Abyei
A woman sits in a mosquito tent in Abyei October 30, 2013. Abyei officials welcomed a push by the African Union to involve the U.N. Security Council in helping plan a referendum to resolve a dispute in the remote border region. Thousands of residents in the region took part in a three-day vote whose result will be non-binding but would indicate whether Abyei wants to join Sudan or South Sudan. The result of the vote in which 65,000 people had registered to take part in is expected on October 31
Counting officers, part of a referendum commission, count votes in Abyei
Counting officers, part of a referendum commission, count votes in Abyei October 30, 2013. Abyei officials welcomed a push by the African Union to involve the U.N. Security Council in helping plan a referendum to resolve a dispute in the remote border region. Thousands of residents in the region took part in a three-day vote whose result will be non-binding but would indicate whether Abyei wants to join Sudan or South Sudan. The result of the vote in which 65,000 people had registered to take part in is expected on October 31. REUTERS/Andreea Campeanu (ABYEI - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS ELECTIONS)
A woman sits in a mosquito tent in Abyei
A woman sits in a mosquito tent in Abyei October 30, 2013. Abyei officials welcomed a push by the African Union to involve the U.N. Security Council in helping plan a referendum to resolve a dispute in the remote border region. Thousands of residents in the region took part in a three-day vote whose result will be non-binding but would indicate whether Abyei wants to join Sudan or South Sudan. The result of the vote in which 65,000 people had registered to take part in is expected on October 31. REUTERS/Andreea Campeanu (ABYEI - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS ELECTIONS)
A counting officer, part of the referendum commission, counts votes in Abyei
A counting officer, part of the referendum commission, counts votes in Abyei October 30, 2013. Abyei officials welcomed a push by the African Union to involve the U.N. Security Council in helping plan a referendum to resolve a dispute in the remote border region. Thousands of residents in the region took part in a three-day vote whose result will be non-binding but would indicate whether Abyei wants to join Sudan or South Sudan. The result of the vote in which 65,000 people had registered to take part in is expected on October 31. REUTERS/Andreea Campeanu (ABYEI - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS ELECTIONS)
A young man from Dinka Ngok tribe stands in a cattle herders' camp near the town of Abyei
A young man from Dinka Ngok tribe stands in a cattle herders' camp near the town of Abyei October 30, 2013. Abyei officials welcomed a push by the African Union to involve the U.N. Security Council in helping plan a referendum to resolve a dispute in the remote border region. Thousands of residents in the region took part in a three-day vote whose result will be non-binding but would indicate whether Abyei wants to join Sudan or South Sudan. The result of the vote in which 65,000 people had registered to take part in is expected on October 31. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic (ABYEI - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS ELECTIONS)
A young man from Dinka Ngok tribe sits in a cattle herders' camp near the town of Abyei
A young man from Dinka Ngok tribe sits in a cattle herders' camp near the town of Abyei October 30, 2013. Abyei officials welcomed a push by the African Union to involve the U.N. Security Council in helping plan a referendum to resolve a dispute in the remote border region. Thousands of residents in the region took part in a three-day vote whose result will be non-binding but would indicate whether Abyei wants to join Sudan or South Sudan. The result of the vote in which 65,000 people had registered to take part in is expected on October 31. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic (ABYEI - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS ELECTIONS ANIMALS)
A woman from Dinka Ngok tribe prepares food in a cattle herders' camp near the town of Abyei
A woman from Dinka Ngok tribe prepares food in a cattle herders' camp near the town of Abyei October 30, 2013. Abyei officials welcomed a push by the African Union to involve the U.N. Security Council in helping plan a referendum to resolve a dispute in the remote border region. Thousands of residents in the region took part in a three-day vote whose result will be non-binding but would indicate whether Abyei wants to join Sudan or South Sudan. The result of the vote in which 65,000 people had registered to take part in is expected on October 31. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic (ABYEI - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS ELECTIONS ANIMALS)
A young man from Dinka Ngok tribe stands in a cattle herders' camp near the town of Abyei
A young man from Dinka Ngok tribe stands in a cattle herders' camp near the town of Abyei October 30, 2013. Abyei officials welcomed a push by the African Union to involve the U.N. Security Council in helping plan a referendum to resolve a dispute in the remote border region. Thousands of residents in the region took part in a three-day vote whose result will be non-binding but would indicate whether Abyei wants to join Sudan or South Sudan. The result of the vote in which 65,000 people had registered to take part in is expected on October 31. REUTERS/Goran Tomasevic (ABYEI - Tags: CIVIL UNREST POLITICS ELECTIONS)
Abyei welcomes UN-backed referendum in disputed region
Some analysts say the outcome of the three-day vote on whether Abyei wants to join Sudan or South Sudan could trigger violence
More than 10,000 Congolese civilians flee to Uganda to escape fighting in North Kivu
In a separate development in north-eastern DRC, some 4,000 to 6,000 refugees have crossed into Uganda's north-west region from Orientale province.