African Union asks for 10 million dollars for Sudan’s troubled Darfur

ADDIS ABABA, April 22 (AFP) — The African Union (AU) has appealed for 10 million dollars (8.5 million euros) to fund a ceasefire observer mission and the immediate humanitarian needs of people in Sudan’s western Darfur region, an AU official said Thursday.

“We have requested our partners to finance our plan of action for the implementation of the Sudanese peace agreement in the Darfur region which will be for the observer mission and ceasefire commission to be set up,” Ki Doulaye Corentin, the head of AU’s conflict management office, said.

“The current estimate we have is 10 million dollars,” he added.

The appeal was made following three days of meeting between AU officials and representatives from western donors in Addis Ababa this week.

The war in Darfur has claimed some 10,000 lives in little more than one year and the UN has said that the conflict has caused what is currently the worst humanitarian catastrophe in the world.

Khartoum and rebels fighting it in Darfur signed a temporary ceasefire two weeks ago. The truce deal contained provisions for a mechanism to monitor the ceasefire.

According to Corentin, the African Union and its partners had agreed to send an advance team to Khartoum and Darfur soon.

The team, which will comprise both civilians and military officials, will identify areas where the ceasefire commission and the observer team will be stationed.