Taha, Garang to participate in donors conference in Oslo

KHARTOUM, Apr 3, 2005 (Sudan Tribune) — First Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha and SPLM chairman John Garang will participate in the donors conference scheduled for April 11-12, the official Sudan News Agency (SUNA) said today.

Ali Osman Taha, shakes hands with John Garang at Niavasha during the peace talks .

The government and SPLM delegations will constitute a joint delegation of ten members from each side, said Foreign Minister Mustafa Osman Ismail.

Norway and Italy are co-chairs of the IGAD Partners Forum, the international group co-ordinating support for Sudan, and are hosting the meeting.

There will be representatives of many different countries as well as participants from the EU, the UN, the African Union, the Arab League, the World Bank, and invited representatives of NGOs.

Ravaged by civil conflict, Sudan is one of the poorest countries in the world. Its foreign debt is estimated at 64 billion dollars, with 40 percent of the total owed to Arab states.

The peace agreement, signed by the government of Sudan and the SPLM on 9 January, officially ends the 21-year civil war in the south that left over 1.5 million people dead and displaced nearly four million. The deal includes provisions on power-sharing, some autonomy for the south and more equitable distribution of economic resources, including oil.