US to participate actively in Darfur development – Sissi
May 18, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – United States will actively participate in Darfur’s recovery and development, said Tijani al-Sissi, the chairmen of Darfur Regional Authority (DRA), as Qatar prepare to hold a second donor conference for Sudan’s impoverished and war affected western region.
The international follow-up committee for DDPD implementation chaired by Qatar and including the US, EU, China and others will meet on 28 May in Doha to fix a date for another donor conference for Darfur region. The international meeting is expected this time to be hosted in Doha.
The European Union announced its participation with $100 million but the United States, Australia, and Japan at the time pledged to continue their support to the war-ravaged region without making any clear commitments.
Tijani al-Sissi stated on Friday that he received reassurances from US Senior Adviser for Darfur, Dane Smith, that his country will participate actively in the rehabilitation and development programmes as part of the international efforts to bring peace in western Sudan.
The chairman of the regional authority disclosed Friday in a radio talk show that the US Administration had some reservations over the Doha process because it did not include all the rebel groups in Darfur.
But Washington realised that “these movements have another agenda not related to the issue of Darfur,” he stressed.
Sudan and the former rebel Liberation and Equality Movement (LJM), headed by Tijani al-Sissi, signed the DDPD on 14 July 2011 while the other group participating in the talks, Justice and Equality Movement (JEM) rejected the text saying it can only serve as basis for more discussions.
Washington failed to convince JEM rebels to join the Doha framework agreement and later said it opposed the Sudan Revolutionary Front (SFR), a coalition of three Darfur rebel groups and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) aiming to topple Bashir’s regime.
Sissi told Dubai-based Al-Bayan newspaper that they need $10 billion for Darfur’s recovery and development project. Sudan and Qatar are committed to pay $4 billion as the conference will seek to raise $6 billion for infrastructure projects.
Recently, he said the central government delayed the payment of $200 million to help displace people return to their homes but the issue was resolved after the intervention of first vice-president Ali Osman Taha.
The lack of money also forced the authority to remain in Khartoum during the past months because the finance ministry failed to pay salaries and funds needed to establish the offices of the 11 regional ministers and six commissioners.
Sissi, who presented a report before a follow-up committee for the DDPD chaired by president Omer al-Bashir this week, urged that measures be taken to secure the return of displaced civilians to their villages. He further underlined that the security situation should be improved before engaging in such efforts.
He also unveiled that Qatar is undertaking an initiative to bring a rebel group to the negotiating table but he did not elaborate on which group this was but added that talks will take place during the upcoming weeks in Doha.
The former rebel leader also urged the rebel groups still fighting the government to distance themselves from newly-independent South Sudan, which he accuses of hampering efforts to bring peace in Darfur. He however warned that the government can deal with them militarily if they continue to wage war in Darfur.
(ST)