OIC To Establish Special Foundation For Sudan Reconstruction

PUTRAJAYA, Oct. 14, 2003 (Bernama) — Foreign Ministers at the 10th Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Summit here Tuesday endorsed a special foundation be established to help in the rehabilitation and reconstruction of the war-ravaged southern Sudan.

Sudan Foreign Minister Dr Mustafa Osman Ismail said the matter would be put forward to the summit for approval.

“Yes, I am glad to say that at the level of experts and foreign ministers, it has been endorsed…I am sure this is going to be a very big achievement (if endorsed at the summit).

“It is going to be a straight forward support from the OIC for the unity and security in Sudan,” he said after attending the ministerial preparatory meeting here.

In this context, Dr Mustafa said the Islamic Development Bank (IDB) would have an important role in providing financial assistance.

Owing to lack of financing, OIC was not able to implement many programmes, he said.

“There are many factors that are affecting the implementation and one of them is financial contributions from member states. That’s why there is a move to establish the foundation voluntarily or mandatorily,” he said.

Asked on the absence of the United Nations’ Secretary-General Kofi Annan at the summit, he said the OIC was an important forum and it was very unfortunate that he could not make it.

“All of us wish that Annan could attend to listen to our views on Afghanistan, Iraq, Palestine and the Israeli attack on Syria,” he added.