Sudan’s President Omar Hassan al-Bashir and South Sudan’s President Salva Kiir will reportedly meet this weekend in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa to wrap up talks. The summit between the two presidents will take place on the same day as a U.N. Security Council-imposed deadline threatening non-military sanctions if the rival countries do not reach a deal on border security issues and oil production. Diplomats on both sides have been negotiating for more than two weeks despite new fighting between Sudan’s army and rebel forces on the border.
Last week, a group of leaders from the rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) traveled to Washington, D.C. for talks with U.S. officials. We caught up with the SPLM-N leaders during their trip and asked about the conflict between the neighboring countries. Here is part one of our three-part Gretawire interview series highlighting the dire situation in Sudan…watch our interview with SPLM-N Secretary General Yasir Arman and post your thoughts.
PS: I saw the turmoil in Sudan and South Sudan firsthand when I traveled there with Rev. Franklin Graham and Samaritan’s Purse this spring. CLICK HERE to learn more about the relief work Samaritan’s Purse is doing in the region.
