Netherlands to organise donors Conference for Darfur reconstruction
May 8, 2006 (ABUJA) — Dutch Development Cooperation Minister, Agnes van Ardenne, announced in Abuja today that she is prepared to organise a donor conference for the reconstruction of Darfur, to take place in The Hague later this year.
According to a press statement by the Foreign Ministry, she made the announcement in response to a request from the Sudanese parties, who are meeting today on the invitation of the Netherlands to discuss last Friday’s peace accord.
The Netherlands has agreed to help by organising a workshop in The Hague in early June.
Van Ardenne had already agreed to take a lead in the reconstruction of Darfur. The international donor community, which was also represented at the talks, has announced that it is prepared to support the reconstruction process. The Netherlands has also agreed to chair the Core Coordination Group.
Priorities in implementing the peace accord include: information for the population of Darfur on its implications; unhindered access for humanitarian organisations to provide relief for people in need; disarming the Janjaweed and other militias; building administrative capacity; establishing an interim government for Darfur’s three states, and training a technical team to identify in the very short term what is needed for reconstruction.
Van Ardenne also had talks with Nigeria’s President Obasanjo, who has played an important mediating role in the peace process, and with the African Union’s Chief Mediator, Dr Salim Ahmed Salim. In an effort to get all parties to sign up to the peace accord, they agreed on the strategy they will adopt towards Abdul Wahid, leader of one of the two rebel factions still refusing.
(ST)