Sudan consults with UN organizations on allocating donor pledges
KHARTOUM, Apr 25, 2005 (Xinhua) — The Sudanese government on Monday started consultations with UN organizations to ensure an effective partnership to allocate the international community’s pledges on the recent donor conference in Oslo, Norway, Sudan News Agency (SUNA) reported.
After meeting with visiting Deputy Executive Director of United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF) Reema Salah, Sudanese State Minister of Foreign Affairs Najeeb el-Kheir said that the Sudanese people must possess the donors pledges and, therefore, allocate them in accordance with the priorities specified by the joint team of the Sudanese government and the Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).
Sudan’s partnership with the UN specialized organizations during the interim period will center on the development and rehabilitation of Sudan and the proposed projects must be directed from khartoum with some subsidiary offices opened in the war- affected areas, el-Kheir said.
He added the Sudanese government is convinced that the southern Sudan’s peace agreement will have positive impacts on the disputes in other parts of Sudan including Darfur.
Meanwhile, he urged the international community to review its priorities concerning Sudan’s peace process and make the ceasefire agreement the top priority.
For her part, the UNICEF official affirmed the UN body’s commitment to treat Sudan as one country and to direct its activities from Khartoum as well as supporting education and health projects in Darfur.
She appreciated the Sudanese government’s cooperation with the UN organization on issues of women and children.
Sudan was embroiled in an over 20-year civil war in the south which was virtually brought to an end when the Sudanese government and the southern rebels signed a peace deal in January in Nairobi, Kenya.
Under the sponsorship of Norway, the international community on April 11-12 pledged 4.5 billion dollars to help Sudan implement the peace agreement.