Al-Bashir vows to achieve peace in Sudan's Darfur before upcoming elections

Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir on Wednesday vowed to achieve peace in Darfur region and make security maximum priority if re-elected president.

"Security is the maximum priority and we will work to achieve it on the ground together with stability and peace so that Darfur would become the way it used to be," said al-Bashir when addressing a gathering of his supporters in El Geneina, the capital city of West Darfur State.

"We promise to achieve peace in Darfur, realize peaceful co-existence and end the tribal conflicts," he said.

Al-Bashir further called local authorities to end the phenomenon of displacement in Darfur, ensure the return of displaced people and refugees to their homes and provide them with all necessary services.

Al-Bashir, a candidate of the ruling National Congress Party, is touring a number of Sudanese cities as part of his electoral campaign for the upcoming general elections.

The Sudanese presidential elections, with the participation of 44 parties and 16 candidates, are scheduled to start in early April.

Some opposition parties launched campaigns to persuade citizens to boycott the elections. They demanded to postpone the elections and form a transitional government to solve what they said a crisis in the country. Endit