Guineans began casting their ballots in a vote that has been delayed multiple times following violent ethnic clashes pitting the nation’s two largest ethnic groups against each other.

The ethnic divide between the supporters of rival candidates Cellou Dalein Diallo and Alpha Conde has overshadowed what was supposed to be a historic vote for the African nation of 10 million on Sunday. Guinea has never had an election that wasn’t rigged by the ruling party since winning independence from France in 1958 and has been ruled by military strongmen for the past 26 years. The military agreed to step aside only after the head of the military junta was wounded in a shootout last year and was forced to seek medical care abroad.