Sovereignty of Southern Sudan to be acknowledged by July

Southern Sudan to be acknowledged by July

The United States is ready to recognize the sovereignty of Southern Sudan after its split with Sudan through a recent referendum. The southern part will have its independence in July, taking with it about 75 percent of Sudan's oil production at 490,000 barrels a day.

"After decades of conflict, the images of million of southern Sudanese voters deciding their own future was an inspiration to the world and another step forward in Africa's long journey toward justice and democracy," President Obama said in a statement released by the White House.

Obama called for a smooth transition of the split of the sub-Saharan country which has been racked by decades of conflict. He also said the Darfur issue must be resolved immediately.

"All parties have a responsibility to ensure that this historic moment of promise becomes a moment of lasting progress," he said. "At the same time, there must be an end to attacks on civilians in Darfur and a definitive end to that conflict."

U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the process to remove Sudan from the list of state sponsors of terrorism is underway. She commended leaders in opposing sides in the African country for the peaceful and smooth referendum.

Clinton said the leaders of the new country of Southern Sudan "must launch a process of inclusive governance and take steps to improve good governance and service delivery."

Foreign Relations Committee Chairman Sen. John Kerry released a statement lauding Sudan's leaders for upholding the results of the independence vote, and urged the U.S. administration to hasten the process of de-enlisting Sudan from the roster of countries sponsoring terrorism.

Posted by James Fried on Tuesday February 08 2011, 4:33 AM EST. Ref: Bloomberg. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, World. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0