President Barack Obama on Wednesday pledged support for a peaceful shift to democracy in Sudan ahead of a January referendum many fear could lead to violence, as he declared a new US approach to development.
"We will reach out to countries making the transition from authoritarianism to democracy, and from war to peace," the president told a summit to curb poverty held at the United Nations, according to remarks prepared for delivery.
"As others show the courage to put war behind them — including, we hope, in Sudan — the United States will stand with those who seek to build and sustain peace," he told the summit on the Millennium Development Goals to ease poverty.
The 9 January referendum on the independence of south Sudan is likely to split the oil-rich nation in two. Any delay in the vote could re-open a 20-year conflict responsible for 2 million deaths, mostly from hunger and disease.
Obama will also attend a special summit on Sudan on Friday on the sidelines of the UN General Assembly meeting.
UN officials say the summit is intended to send a strong signal to north and south Sudan that the world is committed to helping Africa's largest country ensure that the secession referendum — which finalizes the 2005 peace deal which ended decades of war between the two sides — takes place on time.
"The number one message is that these referendums must go off on time, that they must be peaceful, and they must reflect the will of the people of south Sudan," Samantha Power, White House senior director of multilateral affairs, said on Monday.
The United States says it will gradually improve both economic and diplomatic relations, with the prospect of full normalization, if Khartoum in the north allows the vote to take place, fully implements the 2005 peace deal and resolves the conflict in the western region of Darfur.
