Sudanese President Reverses Southerners' Decision to Postpone Nationwide Census

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir has reversed a decision by the regional government of South Sudan to indefinitely postpone a population census in that part of the country.

The president's press secretary Mahjoub Fadul Bedry says the development came after the president and his two vice presidents discussed Sunday the decision taken earlier during the weekend in South Sudan that the census would be indefinitely postponed there.

Bedry says that the presidency decided the census would still go on, although it would begin April 22, a week later from the initial starting date.

The census is a key step before Sudan is to determine how political power, oil and other natural wealth should be shared within the country.