The United Nations General Assembly met on Sept. 20-24 to discuss issues affecting countries around the world. Although Iran has been the focus of the mainstream media reports, Sudan’s plea for help has the attention of activists and politicians worldwide. Beat for Peace, a campaign led by a collaboration of famous musicians, planned a global drum circle to demonstrate efforts to ensure peace for Sudan. On Sept. 19, 14 countries held demonstrations of peaceful drumming to heighten awareness of the potential further escalation of violence in Sudan if the 2011 election runs amok. Activists are asking U.N. delegates to protect the people of South Sudan – whether they choose independence or not – and demanding a fair and free election.

“This global drum beat sends a warning cry,” said Dr. Al-Baqir al-Afif Mukhtar, a Sudanese activist, to AllAfrica.com. “We are at the eleventh hour. Preparations for the referendum are woefully behind schedule and the risk of conflict is increasing. It is time for those governments who promised to help implement the peace agreement to develop a package of pressure and incentives to persuade the Sudanese parties to broker peace and not war.”

This Global Day of Action was sponsored by Sudan365. The organization was formed on Jan. 9 – 365 days before the Sudanese government would allow South Sudan to vote on its independence. This is a follow-up to the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement to end 20 years of civil war in the African country.

Ultimately, this is about oil and religion. According to South Sudanese Friends International, Inc., South Sudan has one of the world’s largest oil reserves and is currently exporting the bulk of it to China.

President Omar al-Bashir has been accused of not sharing this oil wealth with all of the country’s people.

Meanwhile, some believe that the decades-long civil war is the result of an Arab-Muslim Northern government and a primarily Christian South, while others disagree.

At this time, the U.N. fears that Sudan is not prepared for the upcoming January 2011 election, which could yield complete independence for South Sudan. A complicated voter registration system, disagreement on distribution of oil profit, and a lack of formal boundaries point the way toward a potential increase of aggressions in Sudan, according to Al Jazeera. The U.N. urges Sudanese officials to be prepared and to hold a fair and just vote.

On Sept. 24, President Obama attended a summit specifically for Sudan. President al-Bashir did not attend due to his outstanding international warrant for war crimes. Instead, Vice President Ali Osman Taha and President of South Sudan Salva Kiir attended the meeting.

Both Taha and Kiir are in peaceful agreement for the upcoming election, but at the conference they pled to have Sudan removed from the current list of countries harboring terrorists and asked for a removal of sanctions, reported PBS.org.

The journey to democracy for South Sudan has been a bloody, difficult path, lined with civil war casualties and human rights violations. The international community is working to help solidify a bright future for this oil-rich country – a future which is hoped to be within Sudan’s capable reach. The eyes of the global community will be watching as they take this leap to total autonomy.