"The peace to which we aspire is not a partial peace, and not the hegemony of one party and the exclusion of the other," Beshir

MALAKAL, Sudan, January 2 (IslamOnline & News Agencies) - Sudanese President Omar al-Beshir said in an independence day speech Wednesday, January 1, he wanted to arrive at a comprehensive peace with the southern rebel movement, including a sharing of resources.

Beshir was speaking at festivities in Malakal, a town in the southern Upper Nile State, to mark 47 years since Sudan's independence from Britain, Agence France-Presse (AFP) said.

"The peace to which we aspire is not a partial peace, and not the hegemony of one party and the exclusion of the other," Beshir said.

"We want a peace for all the sons of the north and south, a peace that means a participation in all decision-making, a real participation in sharing wealth and resources," he added.

His speech comes as the Khartoum government and the rebel Sudan People's Liberation Army (SPLA) prepare to resume in mid-January a third round of peace talks in Machakos, Kenya.

The talks are set to tackle the key issue of the sharing of wealth and resources, notably coveted oil reserves, as well as the division of political power between the two sides, AFP said.

A groundbreaking preliminary accord was reached in July 2002 in Machakos which grants six years of autonomy to the mainly Christian and animist south followed by a referendum on independence.

Machakos First Step on Peace Road

"The accord that we arrived at in Machakos on some essential points should not make us rest on our laurels. What was accomplished does not mean all the obstacles in negotiations were overcome, on the contrary, it should encourage us to place the interests of the country above our own interests," Beshir said.

The Sudanese President added that an Arab League ministers level meeting on Sudan is planned in Khartoum on January 14, and praised the efforts of the pan-Arab body in helping the peace process.

Several officials from Arab countries were also present at the ceremony, including Egyptian Information Minister Safwat Al-Sherif.

In mid-November 2002, Khartoum and the SPLA announced they had agreed to extend a ceasefire signed in October 2002 and to continue peace talks until the end of March 2003.