|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
KHARTOUM (AFP) - Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir reiterated his government's willingness to normalize ties with the United States in remarks published Sunday, but not at the expense of Islamic law.
"We are prepared for serious dialogue for normalization of relations with America," Bashir was quoted as saying by Khartoum newspapers the day he left for New York to take part in the U.N.'s Millennium Summit. But normalization "will not be at the expense of the Sharia [Islamic law]," he said, adding that talk about relinquishing Sharia is "a sheer rumor." Bashir also pledged that presidential and legislative elections due next month "will be free and fair and free of intimidation and rigging." He said his election manifesto provides for coordination with the political powers in all issues for "building a new Sudan" and ending the 17-year civil war with Sudanese rebels. "Peace will be our topmost concern in the coming period," Bashir said. "We will pursue a peace of dignity and honor to the people of Sudan and for this end we will continue dialogue within the country for unification of all Sudanese people." He said that during his next presidential mandate the country would be militarily self-sufficient and the armed forces would be rehabilitated. He added that domestic crude oil production would be raised from the current 200,000 barrels per day (bpd) to 400,000 bpd by the end of this year and to a million bpd by the end of his next five-year mandate. Bashir also said he would improve Sudan's railways, upgrade river transport, raise the ports' capacity and bolster electricity services by building a new dam in northern Sudan. |
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
