President Barack Obama released a video message over the weekend to the people of Sudan and South Sudan, urging them to work towards a peaceful resolution to violence between the two countries.
Sudan and South Sudan are in dispute over the oil-producing border region of Heglig, which provides a source of revenue for both countries. According to the New York Times, the United States, the United Nations and the African Union condemned South Sudan for sending troops to the Heglig last week.
Obama, in his video message, said “You still have a chance to avoid being dragged back into war, which only leads to one place: more suffering, more refugees, more death, more lost dreams for you and your children."
For more information, read the State Department’s statement and watch President Obama’s message to Sudan and South Sudan on a blog by Grant Harris, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs.
