UN urges Sudan and South Sudan to stop fighting

U.N. Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon is urging Sudan and South Sudan to step back from the brink of war and return to the negotiating table.

On Thursday, he called on South Sudan to immediately withdraw its forces from the oil-rich Heglig area, and also called on the government of Sudan to immediately stop shelling and bombing South Sudanese territory and withdraw its forces from disputed territories including Abyei.

South Sudan said it had repulsed four attacks from Sudan over a 24-hour period. The Arab League scheduled an emergency meeting of foreign ministers in Cairo next week to discuss the violence.

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