Imported User:
The United States President, Mr. Barrack Obama has strongly condemned the recent Sudan’s military incursion into South Sudan, calling for the immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of all Sudanese armed militia from South Sudan.
In a press statement made available to White House Correspondents on Monday afternoon, Obama said that Sudan must immediately halt the aerial and artillery bombardment in South Sudan by the Sudan Armed Forces.
The United States leader further said that Sudan and South Sudan must end all military support for rebel groups within the other country.
“We recognize the right of South Sudan to self-defense and urge South Sudan to exercise restraint in its reaction to Sudan’s attack in Unity State and to refrain from disproportionate actions which would only further enflame the hostilities between the parties.”
“We welcome South Sudan’s withdrawal from Heglig, and we urge that South Sudan complete a total withdrawal of all South Sudanese armed forces deployed across the January 1, 1956 border” Obama’s statement signed by Department of State’s Spokesperson Victoria Nuland said.
President Obama also noted that both governments must agree to an immediate unconditional cessation of hostilities and recommit to negotiations under the auspices of the African Union High-level Implementation Panel, urging both parties to activate without delay the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism, including unarmed observers from both parties supported by UN observers.
He added that as he had earlier stated in his message to the people of Sudan and South Sudan, “All those who are fighting must recognize that there is no military solution. The only way to achieve real and lasting security is to resolve your differences through negotiation.”
Earlier, United Nations Secretary-General, Mr. Ban Ki-moon urged the Governments of both countries to resume negotiations immediately under the auspices of the African Union High-Level Panel to resolve their outstanding differences.
Ban Ki-moon called upon both Governments to activate the Joint Border Verification and Monitoring Mechanism to help ensure the security of their common border.
Reiterating his call on the Government of Sudan to stop the bombing of South Sudanese territory, the United Nations chief urged both Governments to cease their support to each other’s rebel groups.
He also noted that all measures have been taken to ensure that monitors serving with the peacekeeping mission known as the UN Interim Security Force for Abyei (UNISFA) are ready to be deployed.
