Darfur talks – Wealth sharing panel holds Plenary Session

Mar 15, 2006 (ABUJA) — The Wealth Sharing Commission today, Wednesday 15 March 2006, held a Plenary Session, under the chairmanship of its Acting Coordinator, Boubou Niang.

The meeting was attended by Ibrahim Moneim Mansour, former Sudanese Finance Minister and Chairman of the Fiscal and Financial Allocation and Monitoring Commission (FFAMC), Sudanese Government delegates as well as representatives of Darfur rebel groups and International Partners.

Following an enriching presentation by Mansour, a fruitful exchange of views took place between the participants on the Structure, Composition and modus operandi of the Fiscal and Financial Allocation and Monitoring Commission (FFAMC), said the AU spokesperson for the talks Nourredine Mezni.

The participants generally agreed that it was absolutely necessary that the FFAMC commence its work without delay so as to come up with a formula for vertical transfer of resources from the Federal Government to the States, and for horizontal transfer between the States themselves, in the 2007 fiscal year.

It is to be recalled that one of the four outstanding issues in the Wealth Sharing Commission relates to the functioning of the FFAMC. Others are: Compensation for War Affected Persons; Return and Resettlement of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) and Refugees, and the Darfur Reconstruction and Development Fund.

The Acting Coordinator of the Wealth Sharing Commission, called upon all the Sudanese Parties to take advantage of the views expressed and clarifications made during the meeting in order to find a compromise on the important and complex issue.

(ST)