The US ambassador to the United Nations, Susan Rice, welcomed the recent agreements between Sudan and South Sudan, that have allowed humanitarian aid agencies into the liberation movement’s territory. However, she reiterated the need for both parties to formulate a deal resolving the pending issues along the border promptly.

Rice said,

“There clearly are issues, critical issues like the security along the border, demilitarisation, the disputed areas, Abyei, that remain unresolved. And we are looking to the two parties to resolve those issues in very short order and we will be ready to respond to their actions."

Reminding the two nations that the United Nations Security Council and African Union were ‘dead serious’ about the implementations of agreed resolutions and decisions, Rice piled on the pressure, stating that, “The council has been very clear in underscoring its intention to consider additional measures including economic sanctions if their accords are not fully implemented”.

Initially, the UN Security Council gave the two nations until August 2nd to settle their disputes. However, it was a day after the deadline before the first agreement on oil reserves was reached. The Security Council said it will not set a new deadline, although the UN secretary General, Ban Ki-moon is due to produce a report on the situation by September 2nd.

The United Nations stresses that there is still a humanitarian crisis in the recently separated states.