KHARTOUM, Feb. 13 -- Sudanese President Omar al-Bashir said on Wednesday that 2019 would be a year for peace in the country.
"2019 will be a year for peace and silence the sound of the gun permanently," al-Bashir said while addressing a celebration of the Popular Defense Forces in Khartoum.
He renewed his government's concern with the youth, saying that they "constitute a positive energy. They are the future of Sudan, and we are concerned with the youth and seek to achieve their aspirations."
He further stressed that the role of the Popular Defense Forces would not end, adding that it is a national and social institution that serves all the Sudanese people.
Established in 1989, the Popular Defense Forces is a paramilitary force and is considered part of the Sudanese army. It consists of thousands of volunteers from the Sudanese people.