In its strongest stand yet on the war between Sudan and South Sudan, the Security Council has described it as a war without a justifiable cause and called for an end to hostilities. In a statement, it has urged Juba and Khartoum to avoid a return to conflict, which has already cost them millions of lives over two decades. "The last thing the people of these two countries need is another war – a war that could claim countless lives, destroy hope and ruin the prospects of peace and stability and prosperity of all Sudanese people,” said the statement."We urge both sides to exercise maximum restraint, return to the negotiation table and resolve their differences,” it added. Infringement on national sovereigntySouth Sudan is under pressure to withdraw its forces from the oil-producing region of Heglig in Sudan’s South Kordofan state, with both the African Union and the United Nations describing its actions as "an infringement on the sovereignty of Sudan and a clearly illegal act.” The two organisations have also called on the Government of Sudan to immediately stop shelling and bombing South Sudanese territory and to withdraw its forces from disputed territories, in particular Abyei. South Sudan became independent from Sudan in July last year, six years after the Nairobi signing of the peace agreement that ended decades of war between the north and the south. However, the peace between the two countries has been threatened recently by clashes along their common border and outstanding post-independence issues that have yet to be resolved. "This is not the time for war,” said the Council. "This is a time for leadership, for engagement, for negotiation – in the name of humanity, and in the interests of the people of both countries and the region. Along with regional and many international leaders, we have impressed on both governments the necessity of ending the fighting and returning to negotiations. They have yet to heed our call.” The UN will continue its efforts and stands ready to help both parties, it says, adding that those countries that have influence on the two governments must step up their efforts at this "critical moment.” Both the East African Community (EAC), to whose membership both Sudans aspire and the Inter-Governmental Authority on Development (IGAD) have called for an end to the hostilities.Both the calls for restraint seem to be falling on deaf ears; Sudan’s President Omar Al-Bashir escalated war rhetoric against South Sudan on Wednesday, saying that Khartoum’s goal is to rid southerners of the ruling Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM) in Juba.Sudan and South Sudan have been fighting around disputed border area of Heglig since it was occupied by the southern army last week amid growing fears that the recently-separated countries are heading for all-out war.Addressing a mobilisation rally organised by the youth sector of his ruling National Congress Party (NCP) in Khartoum, Al-Bashir promised that the coming hours will bring "good news” from Sudanese forces fighting, as he said, on the outskirts of Heglig.He accused South Sudan’s ruling party, the SPLM, of seeking to execute what he termed as the agendas of world powers to oust the government in Khartoum before threatening to do it the other way around.Completely annihilate” the SPLM"Either we end up occupying Juba or you end up occupying Khartoum but the boundaries of the old Sudan can no longer fit us together, only one of us has to remain standing” Bashir said.The Sudanese president said that liberating Heglig would be the first step towards achieving the main goal which, according to him, is to "completely annihilate” the SPLM, describing it as an insect that must be crushed.He further pledged to liberate South Sudan’s people from the SPLM and correct in the process what he described as their "mistake” of helping the SPLM to rule in Juba."We have promised the south’s people to free them from the SPLM rule immediately and we bear a responsibility before the south’s citizens after we contributed to establishing the SPLM rule in the South” he said