20100120
africanews

Sudan's President Omar al-Bashir has announced that the country will recognize the quest for independence from the south if southerners choose to be separated from the rest of the country in next year's referendum.
al-bashir
Speaking at a ceremony marking the fifth anniversary since the end of the north-south war, president al- Bashir said the north will be a good neighbour if that happens. He added that his National Congress Party favours unity of Sudan’s people but will be the first to accept the decision for independence.

“We will support the new-born government in the south," he said in stadium of Yambio town, close to the border with the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Southerners are expecting to choose independence of their region but their politicians fear that Bashir’s allies would oppose to the idea of losing the country's oil-producing south.

The Muslim north and Christian south Sudan has lived together after the 22-year civil war which brought into being the Comprehensive Peace Agreement on January 9, 2005.

South Sudan's President Salva Kiir who was speaking to Sudan’s people asked to continue their resolve for peace. “Forget the War”, he said in the Ceremony speech.

He added "The north and south will continue to be economically and politically connected whatever the choice of the people of southern Sudan in their referendum in 2011."