Former rebel leader John Garang on Friday vowed to safeguard peace in Sudan and to work together with the government for welfare of the people.

In his speech at the headquarters of the ruling National Congress, Garang said, "I come to work for a new situation" in Sudan which would become a pattern for the modern history in Africa and the whole world.

Immediately after his arrival, Garang met with President Omar el-Bashir.

Garang, head of the Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM), will be sworn in on Saturday as first vice president.

Omar El-Bashir will remain as Sudan's president.

A civil war in Sudan started in 1983 when the SPLM took up arms and fought for self-determination in the southern part of the country.

The conflict had reportedly left some 2 million people dead, mostly through war-induced famine and diseases.

The Sudanese government and the SPLM signed a peace deal in January to end the longest civil war in Africa.

Carnival mood has gripped the Khartoum capital to welcome the ex-rebel leader following the peace accord.

Source: Xinhua