AL-FASHER, SUDAN, Feb 25 (NNN-SUNA) — President Omer Hassan Ahmed Al-Bashir has launched his campaign for re-election as presidenct of Sudan in the country’s North Darfur state, as the first place after Khartoum State.

Addressing a big mass rally Wednesday in Al-Fasher, the capital of North Darfur, he pledged to complete realization of peace in Darfur and to dedicate all the capabilities, which was paid for the war, for the implementation of development and services projects and for the welfare of the citizens in Darfur in western Sudan.

Launching his campaign a day after the signing of a ceasefire agreement with the rebel Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) in Doha, he said several services could have been provided in Darfur, but the war had halted all development projects. He stressed that these projects in the fields of education, water, health and roads would be resumed.

Al-Bashir, who called on JEM Chairman Dr. Khalil Ibrahim and its members to return and to contribute towards the building of Darfur, appreciated the unification of the other movements under the title of Liberation and Justice, under the chairmanship of Dr. Al-Tigani Sessi.

He lauded the efforts of the Emir of Qatar, Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa Al-Thani, the Qatari Prime Minister, Sheikh Hamad bin Jasim Al-Thani, the State Minister for Foreign Affairs, Ahmed bin Abdalla Al-Mahmoud, along with Chadian President Idris Deby, Libyan Leader Muammar Gaddafi, President Mohamed Hosni Mubarak of Egypt, Saudi Arabia’s King Abdalla bin Abdul-Aziz, the President of Eritrea, Assais Afwerki, Iran’s President Ahmadinejad, President of Senegal, Abdalla Wadi, former Nigerian President Obasanjo, for their efforts to realize peace in Darfur.

Al-Bashir said that he recently announced that he would release 30 per cent of the convicts in Omdurman incidents, but on Wednesday he released 50 per cent of the convicts, adding that the other convicts would be released later.

He said that the war of weapons in Darfur had ended and that the war of development and progress had begun.

The mass rally was also addressed by the chairman of the National Committee for Election of Omer Al-Bashir, Field Marshal Abdul-Rahman Suwaral-Dahab, and the Wali (governor) of North Darfur State, Osman Mohamed Yousif Kibir, who called on the citizens to re-elect the president.

Kibir said Darfur was now making confident steps in the path of peace, rehabilitation and development. — NNN-SUNA

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