An announcement Tuesday that a major Swedish oil company [Lundin Oil] has suspended operations in Sudan has boosted hopes that a recently-launched peace process to end 18 years of civil war may gain momentum...The company--which has been strongly criticized by human rights and church groups for allegedly providing logistical assistance to the Islamic regime in Khartoum during the war against mainly Christian and animist rebels in the south--said it was also "hopeful" that a regional ceasefire agreement reached in Switzerland last weekend will be extended to all parts of Sudan to "allow an early resumption" of Lundin's activities.