Remarks by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at the Security Council Stakeout

Remarks by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U.S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, at the Security Council Stakeout, April 24, 2012

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AS DELIVERED

What a full day. I have a press statement to read and then I will provide a readout of our discussions on Sudan and South Sudan, as well as on Syria, and take a few questions, obviously this morning we had a full discussion in the Council with Under-Secretary-General Bachelet and Under-Secretary-General Ladsous on women peace and security, our semi-annual discussion of that topic, and I won’t dwell on that since you heard their briefings in the open chamber. Let me begin with the press statement.

State Department on Attack by Sudan on South Sudan

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF STATE
Office of the Spokesperson
April 23, 2012
STATEMENT BY VICTORIA NULAND, SPOKESPERSON
On the Attack on South Sudan by Sudan
The United States strongly condemns Sudan’s military incursion into South Sudan yesterday and calls for the immediate cessation of hostilities and the withdrawal of all Sudanese armed militia from South Sudan. Sudan must immediately halt the aerial and artillery bombardment in South Sudan by the Sudan Armed Forces. 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.

White House on Eliminating Threat from Lord’s Resistance Army

THE WHITE HOUSE
Office of the Press Secretary
April 23, 2012
Fact Sheet: Mitigating and Eliminating the Threat to Civilians Posed by the Lord’s Resistance Army
Today, President Obama announced that the United States will continue the deployment of a small number of U.S. military advisors to assist Uganda and other regional forces pursuing the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) and seeking to protect local populations.  The President said that upon ordering the deployment last year that he directed his National Security Council to review our progress after 150 days.  Having completed this review, he announced that our advisors will continue their efforts to support the regional forces.  “This is part of our regional strategy to end the scourge that is the LRA and help realize a future where no African child is stolen from their family, no girl is raped and no boy is turned into a child soldier,” as the President said.  The President made this announcement in remarks discussing the United States’ development of a comprehensive strategy to prevent and respond to mass atrocities.

President Obama's Message to the People of Sudan and South Sudan

In these videotaped remarks, President Obama sends an important and very clear message to the people of Sudan and South Sudan: conflict is not inevitable. The people of Sudan and South Sudan still have a choice, a chance to avoid being dragged back into war. Sudan needs to halt all military actions, including aerial bombardments; give aid workers unfettered access to people in need; and end support for armed groups. Similarly, South Sudan must end its support for armed groups inside Sudan and cease its military actions across the border.  All parties fighting – including in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile States – must recognize that the only way to achieve real and lasting security is to resolve their differences through negotiation. 

Lyman: Major Diplomatic Effort Under Way on Sudan, South Sudan

Washington — U.S. Special Envoy Princeton Lyman says Sudan and South Sudan are seeking a diplomatic resolution to disputed borders and other issues related to oil production in disputed areas, and a number of major international diplomatic activities are underway to defuse the tense situation.

Ambassador Rice at U.N. Security Council on Western Sahara, Sudan

USUN PRESS RELEASE
April 17, 2012
AS DELIVERED
Remarks by Ambassador Susan E. Rice, U. S. Permanent Representative to the United Nations, At the Security Council Stakeout, April 17, 2012
Ambassador Rice: Good afternoon. The Security Council had sessions both on the Western Sahara and on the situation between Sudan and South Sudan, and I’ll brief you on both, starting with Western Sahara. The Council heard briefings today from SRSG Abdel-Aziz and the Secretary General’s Personal Envoy Chris Ross on the situation in Western Sahara and the UN Mission for the Referendum in Western Sahara, MINURSO.

South Sudan Businesses Fear Oil Shutdown Fallout

When South Sudan decided to shut down its oil production to protest against alleged injustices from the north, the country was also cutting off 98 percent of its revenue.  Businessmen in the south are particularly concerned about the economic consequences of the shutdown.

Mustafa Ayoo runs a small hardware store at the Jebel market on the outskirts of the capital. Like many other business owners here, he has been closely following news of the oil shutdown, a two-week process begun late last month which should be nearing completion.