Sudan's Darfur votes on political future, rebels cry foul

By Khalid Abdelaziz El FASHER, Sudan (Reuters) - Darfur residents began voting on Monday in a referendum on whether to reunite their arid western region into one entity, a poll Sudan says will settle an issue at the heart of the long-running conflict. The Sudanese government's decision to split Darfur into three states in 1994 helped fuel discontent that erupted into fighting in 2003. Sudan, which later split Darfur further into five states, has presented this week's vote as a major concession.