من نيويورك :الامم المتحده تسعى لزيادة قواتها فى السودان وكلنتون تجدد عقد الاستفتاء فى موعده

Quote: The UN Security Council on Tuesday expressed worries about South Sudan's self-determination referendum in January while UN leader Ban Ki-moon raised fears of "wider conflict" inside Sudan. The Security Council held a ministerial meeting on Sudan less than two months ahead of the vote, with many governments questioning whether the January 9 deadline can be met or whether simmering tensions can be doused. In addition to concerns about delays by the Khartoum government in releasing funds for the referendum in South Sudan and nearby oil rich region of Abyei, the Security Council also raised fears over renewed violence in the Darfur conflict. The Council called for renewed efforts to make sure the self-determination votes are held on time and are peaceful. The vote is part of a 2005 peace accord which ended two decades of civil war in Sudan in which two million people died. Voter registration started as scheduled on Monday, but other preparations are seriously delayed. Negotiations between Abyei leaders and the Khartoum government are deadlocked. UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon said the United Nations had made contingency plans for violence after January 9, and had positioned emergency food and other supplies in potential "hot spots". He said there had been "hostile statements" and accusations of ceasefire violations on the North-South border which risked provoking security incidents "that can escalate into a wider conflict." "The potential for unintentional conflict is especially high" in Abyei, where there are the strongest fears that the referendum will not be held on time, the UN leader said. "Emotions are running high and little progress has been made in finding a solution to the political impasse," Ban said of the talks between Abyei leaders and Khartoum. The UN chief said the vote in Sudan and the risk of conflict has the "potential to change the future of the country and send shock waves throughout the region." US Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said the January 9 vote "is critical to peace and stability not just for Sudan but also for the neighbours." Clinton pressed the governments of the North and South to speed up negotiations on how to share oil revenue, draw up their borders and agree the rights of the peoples of both sides of the frontier. She also said that officials on both sides "must avoid inflammatory rhetoric, quell rumours and dampen animosities." "No outsider can dictate events on the ground; it is up to the political leaders of Sudan whether they will choose peace or confrontation," she said. "The fate of 44 million Sudanese depends on their leaders' willingness to work together to resolve these issues." Clinton offered "dramatically" improved relations for Sudan but warned: "If it chooses conflict, the government of Sudan will face consequences" that would include "additional pressure and deeper isolation." A Security Council statement read by British Foreign Secretary William Hague also expressed "deep concern" about the growing violence in Darfur and deadlocked peace talks between rebel groups and the Khartoum government. The United Nations estimates that at least 300,000 people have died in Darfur since 2003. It called on the Sudan government to give greater cooperation to the UN mission in Darfur and "to give full, unhindered access and freedom of movement" to UN peacekeepers and aid workers. Peacekeepers and aid workers have been attacked and kidnapped in recent months amid a new government military campaign against Darfur rebels. "We remain deeply concerned about Darfur, violence is intensifying, human rights violations continue, arms flow despite the (UN) embargo" said Clinton. "This is all unacceptable," the top US diplomat added, calling on all rebel groups to take part in peace talks that have been held in Qatar in recent months.