Darfur, Kordofan, Blue Nile conflicts to end in 2016: Sudan president
Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir says conflicts in the African country's Darfur, South Kordofan and Blue Nile regions will end in the next year.
"The year 2016, God willing, will be the end of the insurgency and the security problems in Blue Nile, South Kordofan and Darfur," Bashir said at a Friday meeting of his ruling National Congress Party in the capital Khartoum.
He also noted that "the insurgency in Darfur has ended" and that "the remnants" have taken refuge in neighboring Libya and South Sudan, a claim Sudanese officials had earlier made.
Darfur has been the scene of violence since 2003, when rebels took up arms against the government. There has also been tribal fighting in the region.
The United Nations estimates that over 300,000 people have been killed in Darfur since the violence began.
The Sudanese government has also been battling Sudan People's Liberation Army-North (SPLA-N) rebels in South Kordofan and Blue Nile since 2011.
The president’s remarks came a day after he offered rebels a two-month truce and an amnesty to enter negotiations with the government.
The rebels have not yet responded to Bashir’s call, but they had earlier refused to attend the talks, saying that there is not a favorable atmosphere for the negotiations.
Sudan accuses South Sudan, which seceded from the Republic of Sudan in July 2011, of supporting anti-government rebels operating in Darfur, Blue Nile, and South Kordofan.
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