Aid to Sudan depends on peace in Darfour – EU

BRUSSELS, Belgium, May 14, 2005 (PANA) — The European Union
parliament has resolved to bypass the Sudanese
government with its financial aid until significant
progress to return peace to Darfour has been
achieved.

A newly arrived refugee woman from the Sudan region of Darfur crosses into Chad in the direction of the improvised Tine refugee camp. (file/AFP) .

The EU recently decided to release E450 million for
Sudan after the signing of a comprehensive peace
agreement between the government and the southern
rebels that ended 22 years of conflict on 9 January.

The parliament, however, said the aid intended for
Sudan should be granted gradually and must be managed
as much as possible by humanitarian organisations
operating in the country.

The Sudanese government should not benefit from it
until it ends any form of violence in Darfour and
accepts to cooperate with the International Criminal
Court on the abuses that have taken place in the
western region, the parliament said.

The European deputies also denounced the arrest of
two Sudanese human rights organisation officials.