Sudan to give $700 mln for Dafur rehabilitation fund
May 13, 2006 (KHARTOUM) — Sudan will give 700 million dollars for the Darfur rehabilitation fund, a Sudanese minister said, the official SUNA reported.
In doing so, Sudanese government aims to encourage the donors to extend their contributions for the fund, said The State Minister at the Ministry of Finance and National Economy, Lual Deng, Saturday.
Deng received the Ambassador of the Netherlands to Sudan and discussed preliminary arrangements for the rehabilitation in Darfur region in the peace era, though the Joint Assessment Mission (JAM) for requirements of the war-affected areas.
The minister indicated that the requirements are related to the axes of relief and humanitarian affairs, the rehabilitation and re-building in Darfur, means to handle the foreign debts issue, adding that these axes will be discussed through the Donors’ Conference, schedule to be held in mid next September.
Meanwhile, the minister affirmed the seriousness to speed up the implementation of rehabilitation projects in Darfur, adding that the technical committee for the sharing of power at the negotiations in Abuja has held a meeting immediately after the signing of Darfur Peace Agreement.
The committee discussed the technical preparations for the rehabilitation in Darfur, with the participation of the Dutch Minister of Cooperation and the special envoy of the UN Secretary General for Sudan, Jan Pronk, a number of donors, the leader of Sudan Liberation Movement Minni Minawi and a number of the leaders of his movement.
He further added that the meeting discussed ways to provide the requirements for rehabilitation in Darfur region.
Deng said that the preparations for the Donors Conference are being conducted by the Sudanese national unity government the government of the Netherlands in collaboration with the World Bank, the African Development Bank, the European Union, Britain the United States, Norway, the United Nations, besides six representatives of Darfur movements.
Sudanese government and the Sudan Liberation Movement of Minni Minawi signed a peace deal brokered by the African Union in Abuja, Nigeria on Friday May 5.
The conflict in Darfur erupted in February 2003 when rebels from minority tribes rose up against the central government in Khartoum, prompting a fierce crackdown by troops and a proxy militia called the Janjaweed.
(ST)