WASHINGTON Oct 29 (Reuters) – President Barack Obama stressed the need to hold a referendum on Sudan’s future on time in a telephone call on Friday with the top official seeking comprise between the country’s north and south, the White House said.
Obama spoke with former South African President Thabo Mbeki, who has been trying to overcome obstacles in the north-south peace process as chairman of an African Union panel on Sudan.
“The two discussed the importance of moving ahead aggressively to support the negotiations and resisting any entreaties to delay,” the White House said.
The planned Jan. 9 votes to end decades of north-south civil war in Sudan could see the south declare independence, and decide if the oil-rich region of Abyei joins the north or the south.
The process has been clouded by disputes over who is allowed to vote and who will serve on a commission to organize the poll.
“Both share a sense of urgency and a commitment to mobilizing the international community to support a timely, credible process on January 9 and a peaceful, prosperous future for all the people of Sudan,” the White House said. (Reporting by Alister Bull; Editing by Chris Wilson)