Al-Bashir: no reliance on 'tyranny'

Omar al-Bashir is all smiles at oil field launch Khartoum - Abedalgoum Ashmeag Sudanese president Omar al-Bashir has vowed his country will never seek help from "tyrannical countries," after opening a new oil field in the state of West Kordofan. At the launch event of the Hadida oil field, al-Bashir also called for peaceful dialogue to resolve Sudan's internal problems. "Sudan has suffered and lived through a suffocating siege, but we never gave up and will never ask for help from America, Israel or any other tyrannical countries," he said. "We must renounce internal conflict and resort to peaceful dialogue to resolve internal problems. Internal conflicts weaken the country and serve the enemy's agenda." He pledged that the government will work on using the country's resources for the benefit of development, stability and welfare of the citizens Bashir also revealed that work on the Rasirs Dam in the Blue Nile State will get underway in early January. He said China will support Sudan without "political conditions or colonial ambitions." The opening of the new Hadida oil field comes after a dispute between North Kordofan and neighbouring eastern Darfur. Meanwhile, Sudanese oil minister Dr Awad jazz said that the field would produce 10,000 barrels of crude oil per day, expecting to up its production to 60,000 barrels in the future. Last week, Sudanese vice-president Ali Osman Taha opened another new field in the western part of South Kordofan, which will initially produce more than 6,000 barrels per day.