LONDON, June 6 (UPI) -- Sudanese leaders are called on to find a peaceful solution to the crisis over the de facto border region of Abyei, the British foreign secretary said.
The government in Khartoum has ignored calls from the international community to pull its troops out of Abyei after they occupied the area last month.
Tensions are high in Sudan ahead of South Sudan's formal independence in July. Abyei was to take part in a January referendum for secession but was left out because of voter eligibility issues. The referendum was part of a peace agreement reached in 2005 that ended Sudan's bloody civil war.
British Foreign Secretary William Hague said after meeting with Sudanese Foreign Minister Ali Karti in London that a peaceful resolution to Abyei was needed.
He said he wanted Sudanese leaders to accept third-party peacekeepers for the area so Sudanese forces can then withdraw.
"This is a critical time for Sudan and today was an important opportunity to discuss the situation with the foreign minister," he said in a statement. "We agreed on the importance of a durable and peaceful resolution to the status of Abyei and on the need for Sudanese armed forces to withdraw from the district."
Tens of thousands of civilians have fled the recent conflicts in Abyei.
