US warns of consequences if Sudan fails on referendum

Sep 20, 2010, 22:48 GMT

Washington - Sudan could face international consequences if it fails to follow through on a referendum to decide independence for the southern part of the country, a top US official said Monday.

The United States has intensified diplomatic efforts to resolve outstanding issues between the north and south ahead of January's referendum, including how oil revenue vital to the country's economy will be shared after the vote.

There have been concerns that insufficient resources have been dedicated to carrying out the vote and ensuring its result is legitimate.

The US ambassador to to the United Nations, Susan Rice, told reporters in a conference call that Washington has assured the Sudanese government that it could have improved relations if the outcome is valid.

'We've also been clear that if they fail to follow through there will be ... consequences,' Rice said, adding that the actions could be unilateral or multilateral but without being specific.

US President Barack Obama will be joining a meeting hosted by UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon on Friday as the UN General Assembly launches its new session.

The referendum stems from a 2005 peace agreement ending 20 years of civil war that left 2 million people dead. The conflict was between the largely Muslim north and separatist Christian rebels in the south, which has most of Sudan's lucrative oil fields.

Sudan's ruling National Congress Party and the Sudanese People's Liberation Movement, which now governs the south, have not been able to come to terms on sharing oil revenue and foreign debt, or to decide how to conduct the election and who should be allowed to vote.

It is widely expected that the referendum will result in southern independence.