Sudan and South Sudan are still supporting rebels in each other's country as they prepare for a fresh round of talks this week over disputes that brought the two neighbors to the brink of war earlier this year.
The United States wants to improve ties with Sudan after more than a decade of strained relations, if the African nation ruled by an autocratic president under indictment for war crimes adopts democracy and respects human rights, a senior Obama administration official said on Wednesday.
Sudan and South Sudan are committing "mutual economic suicide" in their dispute over oil, according to a top U.S. official.
President Obama on Monday attempted to defuse tensions between Sudan and South Sudan that have ignited international concern that the African neighbors are teetering on the brink of an all-out war.
No red carpet, but there are sure to be gawkable moments and a few screams Wednesday morning when a celebrity with a cause celebre comes to call on the U.S. Senate. That would be George Clooney, who has the lead role in a hearing before the Senate Committee on Foreign Relations. The script is based around the security and disposition of Sudan and South Sudan.
South Sudan's president said Friday that his country is not arming rebels in two of Sudan's border states, from where more than 50,000 refugees have fled fighting in recent months, according to U.N. estimates.
An escalation of violence with Sudan is challenging South Sudan's fledling government to attract desperately needed foreign investment.
A confidential report by the United Nations warns that the invasion by Sudan's military of the contested Abyei region could lead to "ethnic cleansing" if the tens of thousands of residents who have fled are not able to return.
Southern Sudan will become Africa's newest nation in July, but politicians are already squabbling among themselves and worrying Western supporters who hoped for a smooth passage to democracy after the continent's longest civil war.
