Sudan’s President Omar al-Beshir vowed Saturday to put an end to the country's 19-year-old civil war by the end of the year, whether it be by means of negotiations or arms, the official SUNA agency reported.
"This year will be a year for peace whether through negotiation or through the military option," he said in the course of a meeting with army officers in Qaisan, a town in the Blue Nile State, recently recaptured by the government forces from the southern rebels.
Beshir said the government armed forces "will continue their victories to spread security and stability all over the country."
The Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) has been fighting since 1983 for the self-determination of the mainly Christian and animist south against successive governments in the Arab and Muslim North.
Meanwhile, speaking at another rally in Ed Damazin, capital of the Blue Nile State, Beshir urged those who carry arms against his government to "join the march for peace," SUNA reported.
Beshir was also quoted as saying that his opponents "still have a chance (to negotiate) and anyone who turns down this chance will have only himself to blame." (albawaba.com)
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