20101220
reuters

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama, who has pushed Sudan over an upcoming referendum and the crisis in Darfur, has written to leaders in the region stressing U.S. commitment to a peaceful vote, the White House said on Sunday.

With the referendum on southern independence just three weeks away and violence in the south flaring, Obama is trying to galvanize the region to pressure Khartoum to make sure the vote takes place on time and the outcome is respected.

"President Obama has made it clear that Sudan is one of the administration's top priorities; we have a vision of hope, peace and prosperity for the people of Sudan," said White House National Security Council spokesman Mike Hammer.

Confirming Obama had written to a number of leaders about the referendum and the situation in Darfur, Hammer said this was part of an ongoing diplomatic push to emphasize the importance that Washington places on a peaceful Sudan.

The January 9 referendum on independence for south Sudan was promised in a 2005 peace deal that ended a civil war between the mainly Muslim north and the oil-rich south, where most follow traditional beliefs and Christianity.

A successful southern referendum could bring a conclusion to one of Africa's most bitter conflicts, which has rumbled on since around the time of Sudan's independence in the 1950s.

"We believe an on-time referendum is the best means to prevent a resumption of full scale war between north and south Sudan," said White House spokesman Tommy Vietor.