The President of the United States of America phoned the chairman of the African Union Panel on Sudan to say that the referendum on Southern Sudan self-determination should be held on time.
President Barack Obama phoned Thabo Mbeki on Friday to discuss “the importance of moving ahead aggressively to support the negotiations and resisting any entreaties to delay”, a White House spokesperson said.The same source added that Mr. Obama and Mr. Mbeki “shared a sense of urgency and a commitment to mobilizing the international community to support a timely, credible process on January 9 and a peaceful, prosperous future for all the people of Sudan.”