Originally posted by the Voice of America. Voice of America content is produced by the Voice of America, a United States federal government-sponsored entity, and is in the public domain. 6 Killed in South Sudan Ahead of Referendum Scott Bobb 08 January 2011 Officers from the Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) check voter registration kits, manuals and cards of referendum at the main distribution center in Khartoum, 08 Jan 2011 Photo: Reuters Officers from the Sudan Referendum Commission (SSRC) check voter registration kits, manuals and cards of referendum at the main distribution center in Khartoum, 08 Jan 2011 Southern Sudan military officials say at least six people have died in clashes between rebels and the Sudan Peoples Liberation Army, just hours before an independence referendum begins. Colonel Philip Aguer said soldiers fought with fighters loyal to rebel leader Gatluak Gai in the south's Unity State. It was not immediately clear if the victims were members of the army or militants. The attack comes ahead of a referendum in southern Sudan that gives the voters a choice between staying united with the rest of Sudan or breaking away to form an independent country. The region is widely expected to choose independence.  The week-long poll, beginning Sunday, was promised in the [1]2005 peace agreement that ended Sudan's civil war between the Muslim majority north and the mainly Christian and animist south. The U.N. Security Council has expressed "deep concern" about the lack of an agreement on the future of the oil-producing Abyei region. Abyei was scheduled to hold a separate referendum Sunday to decide whether to join the north or the south, but the poll was put off because of disputes over who would be eligible to vote. The disputes have sparked fears that regardless of the outcome of the balloting, Sudan may plunge back into civil war. Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has made comments to allay fears of war, saying the north will "celebrate" the south's independence if that is what voters choose.  The U.S. Carter Center has dispatched 100 observers to monitor the vote in Sudan and at overseas polls. The U.N. refugee agency said an average of 2,000 people per day have been heading south for the referendum. Nearly 4 million southern Sudanese are registered to vote in the week-long poll. References 1. http://www.un.org/News/Press/docs/2005/sc8306.doc.htm .