0:00:00.370,0:00:04.451
In recent weeks, rising violence and fighting have taken the lives of innocent

0:00:04.451,0:00:07.851
civillians- men, women and children.

0:00:07.851,0:00:12.018
Heated rhetoric on both sides has raised the risk of war.

0:00:12.018,0:00:16.568
So today I want to speak directly to you- the people of Sudan and

0:00:16.568,0:00:20.830
South Sudan. In your lives you've endured extraordinary hardships.

0:00:20.830,0:00:24.552
You carry in your hearts the memory of family and friends you've lost;

0:00:24.552,0:00:28.668
but in recent years against great odds, you've made remarkable

0:00:28.668,0:00:32.167
progress toward breaking the violent cycles of the past

0:00:32.167,0:00:36.085
toward building a future of peace and greater prosperity.

0:00:36.085,0:00:40.251
Now all that progress is at risk of unraveling.

0:00:40.251,0:00:44.620
So my message to you today is simple: It doesn't have

0:00:44.620,0:00:48.601
to be this way. Conflict is not inevitable.

0:00:48.601,0:00:52.233
You still have a choice. You still have a chance to avoid being dragged

0:00:52.233,0:00:56.782
back into war which only leads to one place- more suffering,

0:00:56.782,0:01:00.469
more refugees, more death, more

0:01:00.469,0:01:04.435
lost dreams for you and your children. We know what

0:01:04.435,0:01:08.668
needs to happen. The Government of Sudan must stop its military actions,

0:01:08.668,0:01:12.451
including aerial bombardments. It must give aid workers the access

0:01:12.451,0:01:16.735
they need to save lives. And it must end its support for armed groups

0:01:16.735,0:01:20.517
inside the south. Likewise, the Government of South Sudan

0:01:20.517,0:01:24.668
must end its support for armed groups inside Sudan and it must cease

0:01:24.668,0:01:28.386
its military actions across the border. The presidents of

0:01:28.386,0:01:32.434
Sudan and South Sudan must have the courage to return to the table and negotiate

0:01:32.434,0:01:36.634
and resolve these issues peacefully. And all of those who are

0:01:36.634,0:01:40.452
fighting, including in Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile, must

0:01:40.452,0:01:44.535
recognise there is no military solution. The only way to achieve

0:01:44.535,0:01:48.568
real and lasting security is to resolve your differences through negotiation.

0:01:48.568,0:01:54.002
In times of tension, it's easy to forget that your future is shared.

0:01:54.002,0:01:57.952
You will never be at peace if your neighbour feels threatened.

0:01:57.952,0:02:00.955
You will never see development and progress, if your neighbour

0:02:00.955,0:02:04.234
refuses to be your partner in trade and commerce.

0:02:04.234,0:02:07.202
It's easier to start wars than to end them.

0:02:07.202,0:02:10.585
And yes, peace is hard, but the forces of history

0:02:10.585,0:02:15.972
which sometimes seems so large are not beyond our control. Your future belongs

0:02:15.972,0:02:19.517
to you. It is in your hands. You have the power,

0:02:19.517,0:02:23.650
the choice to say what comes next-

0:02:23.650,0:02:27.921
whether your children will live in war or peace. The choice is yours,

0:02:27.921,0:02:32.220
and now is the time to choose peace. As I've said before,

0:02:32.220,0:02:35.961
those who have the courage to walk the path of peace will not be alone.

0:02:35.961,9:59:59.000
They will have a strong and steady partner in the United States of America.