Sudan President: Ties with southerners deep - KFVS

KHARTOUM, Sudan (AP) - Sudan's president says the conflict with Southern Sudan will not affect close relations between the two peoples.

Omar al-Bashir's comments Sunday come days after his government accepted an African Union plan to resume talks with South Sudan, after recent fighting nearly brought the two nations back to the brink of war.

South Sudan's military says Khartoum's bombing of border areas has continued despite its acceptance of the plan.

South Sudan won independence from Sudan last year, but the two sides have not agreed on border demarcation or sharing oil revenues.

Al-Bashir said the recent fighting with the government of South Sudan won't change the "deep-rooted" relations with the people of the South.

He has said before that Sudan must liberate the southerners from its regime.

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