Qatar to host Darfur Donors’ conference next April

February 6, 2013 (KHARTOUM) – A donors conference for Darfur will be held next April, meanwhile the regional authority estimated that the reconstruction of war ravaged western Sudan needs an amount ranging between 6-7 billion US dollars.

The donor meeting had been initially scheduled for December of 2012 and then January of this year. The reason of this postponement that Western donors required that Khartoum should honour a number of commitments before to contribute in this conference.

Qatari Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed Bin Abdullah Al-Mahmud Qatar announced on Tuesday that the conference will be held in Doha on the 6th and 7th of April.

He further said that the date has been set after consultations with the regional and the international partners, the government of Sudan, and the former rebel Liberation and Justice Movement (LJM) .

Speaking from Doha after an Asian tour to exhort donors to participate in the event, Tijani Al-Sissi, chairman of Darfur Regional Authority (DRA) said that 50% to 60% of the Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD) have been implemented despite the financial crisis facing Sudan.

He stressed that the document prepared by Sudanese government to the conference contains 10 development and service projects including water, water, health, education, agriculture, security and infrastructure.

He argued that Darfur since the signing of the DDPD is witnessing calm and stability despite some rebel attacks and tribal clashes.

He also pointed out that the improvement of relations with Chad and the stability along the borderline with Libya; forced the rebel movements to take refuge in the neighbouring South Sudan and accused them of leading a proxy war.

The Sudanese government and a splinter faction from the rebel Justice and Equality Movement are holding talks in Doha where the two parties are expected to sign an agreement before the the conference.

(ST)