President Obama issues video message to Sudan and South Sudan Conflict

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 [1], 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 [2] and watch President Obama’s message to Sudan and South Sudan on a blog [3] by Grant Harris, Special Assistant to the President and Senior Director for African Affairs.