Filed under: News, Politics, President Obama
With issues of border demarcation, citizenship, and water rights dividing the people in the northern and southern parts of the country, Sudanese President Omar Hassan Al-Bashir (pictured above) warned his country might face the prospect of a civil war.
Sudan, the largest country in Africa, ended a civil war in 2005 with rebel groups in the south by giving some limited autonomy and a vote this coming January for independence.
But Al-Bashir said that the longstanding issues have to be resolved before the January vote or a military conflict could result.
Sudan, which was emancipated from England in 1956, has received more news media coverage than the average African nation in conflict thanks to the interest of actor George Clooney in its plight.
This week, Clooney visited President Obama and national lawmakers in Congress, urging the United States to increase its diplomatic role in the Sudanese conflict to head off a potential civil war.
Clooney said the U.S. should help in negotiations or be forced to help "mop up the mess afterward."
Clooney makes some sense that helping with negotiations would be a smart move because a civil war in Sudan would be to no one's benefit.
It's good to see a Hollywood star using his celebrity for something more than front-row seats at Knicks and Lakers game.