The UN Security Council on Thursday praised the rival governments in northern and southern Sudan for surprising the international community with their efforts to make sure a secession vote this weekend goes ahead peacefully.
The UN peacekeeping chief said however that he would still like to increase the number of troops in Sudan but this is being blocked by the Khartoum government.
Until recent weeks, envoys of the major powers had all expressed doubts that the self-determination vote in southern Sudan would even be held on January 9 as planned.
The vote is part of a 2005 peace accord between the north and south to end two decades of civil war that left an estimated two million dead. There had been fears of a return to conflict if the referendum failed to go ahead.
But the UN Security Council said in a statement that members "welcome the progress made towards the holding of a peaceful and credible southern Sudan referendum that reflects the will of the people."
In a rare act of praise for Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court for war crimes, the council said members "appreciate" his comments made this week saying that his government would accept the outcome of the vote.
It also praised an equally conciliatory message from his rival head of the south's government Salva Kiir in his New Year message.
The council urged the two sides to make sure the vote and the count take place "in an atmosphere of peace and calm." It also noted "with deep concern" the lack of agreement on the Abyei region where the self-determination vote has been postponed.
"Members of the council strongly urge the parties to quickly reach agreement on Abyei and to resolve critical post-referendum issues including the border, security, citizenship, debt, assets, currency and natural resources," said the statement.
The Security Council said it was also "deeply concerned by the increasing violence and insecurity" in Darfur since December which has resulted in the displacement of an estimated 40,000 extra people.
UN peacekeeping chief Le Roy briefed the Security Council about events in Sudan. On leaving the chamber he told reporters that he still wanted to increase the number of international troops in Sudan.
Sudan's ambassador to the UN Daffa-Alla Elhag Ali Osman denied however that the United Nations has even made a request to increase the number of troops from the current 10,600 level.
"It has not been discussed because there is no need for that," he told reporters.
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