Sudan elections

Sudan's incumbent leader may just have been handed the presidency again, with just ten days to go until the country's first presidential poll in 24 years.

His main rival, Yasser Arman of the Southern People's Liberation Movement or the SPLM, last night withdrew from the contest.

This comes days after northern opposition parties, and the SPLM, raised concerns that the poll would not be free and fair.

President Bashir had however dismissed their request for a postponement saying it would delay next year's crucial referendum on the independence of south Sudan.

Earlier on the line to Khartoum, Network Africa's Akwasi Sarpong asked our reporter James Copnall if the SPLM had definitely withdrawn from the race.