By Elizabeth Willoughby on
On behalf of The Elders, former US president Jimmy Carter paid a visit to Khartoum recently to speak with Sudan’s president Omar Al-Bashir and encourage efforts towards a resolution to the crises between Sudan and South Sudan.
On the eve of the first anniversary of South Sudan’s separation from the North (July 9), Carter would like to see presidents of both countries meeting directly to resolve their issues, which include oil revenues, border demarcation and citizenship. Besides economic damage being felt on both sides since the South halted its oil production in January (it is refined in and shipped from the North), human rights violations are commonplace and well documented.
“We urged President Al-Bashir to display the statesmanship that we know he is capable of,” said Carter, “as demonstrated last year in the peaceful facilitation of the referendum enabling the independence of South Sudan.”
Carter will make a second visit to the region, including to Juba and Addis Ababa, to further encourage the two presidents back to the negotiating table for peace.
Copyright © 2012 Look to the Stars
