Annan urges donors to deliver on Sudan pledges

KHARTOUM, July 9 (AFP) — UN Secretary General Kofi Annan urged donor nations on Saturday to make good on pledges to assist Sudan, saying the success of the country’s peace process also depended on international support.

“It is extremely important that now that the Sudanese have come this far that the international community also honors the commitment that it has made to them in terms of recovery reconstruction as well as humanitarian assistance,” he told a Khartoum press conference.

“We do need support, we do need resources,” the UN chief said.

“We have got less than half of what we require and it will be a shame that having worked so hard for peace that it… falls apart for lack of cash,” he added.

Donors pledged nearly 600 million dollars in hard cash last April in support of Sudan’s peace, but not all has been committed let alone disbursed.

Annan was in Khartoum to attend the swearing-in ceremony of former southern rebel leader John Garang as Sudan’s new first vice president in line with a landmark January peace deal with the Khartoum government.

Annan said he had discussed the shortfalls in funds for Sudan with leaders of the world’s wealthiest nations during this week’s Group of Eight summit in Gleneagles, Scotland.

“I did raise the issue. The need for support, the need to honor their pledges for Sudan,” he said.

Annan said the United Nations plans to launch a fresh campaign in New York to press donors to live up to their commitments for Sudan.

Southern Sudan needs billions of dollars to rebuild its infrastructure after 21 years of war and has to grapple with the return of tens of thousands of refugees, poor harvests and the looming threat of famine.

An estimated two million people died during the north-south conflict, mostly of hunger and disease, and another four million were displaced.