US to participate actively in Darfur development - Sissi
May 18, 2012 (KHARTOUM) – United States will actively participate in Darfur recovery and development, said the chairmen of Darfur Regional Authority (DRA), as Qatar prepare to hold a second donor conference. Tijani al-Sissi (SUNA) More than a year before the signing of Doha Document for Peace in Darfur (DDPD), on 21 March 2010 Egypt hosted a donor conference for Darfur. The gathering raised only 850 million dollar missing the 2 billion dollar funding target. The international follow-up committee for DDPD implementation chaired by Qatar and including US, EU, China and other regional countries 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 dollar, but the United States Australia and Japan at the time pledged to continue their support to the war ravaged region without taking 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 talks 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 realized 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) 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 opposed to 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 for 10 billion dollar for Darfur recovery and development project. Sudan and Qatar are committed to pay four billion dollar as the conference will seek to raise six billions for infrastructure projects. Recently, he said the central government delayed the payment of 200 million dollar for IDPs return programme to Darfur authority 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 minister 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 to take measures to secure the return of displaced civilians to their villages. He further underlined that the security situation should be improved before to engage such efforts. He also unveiled that Qatar is undertaking an imitative to bring a rebel group to the negotiating table but he did not elaborate about the identity of these rebels. But he added that talks will take place during the upcoming weeks in Doha. He also urged the rebel groups to distance themselves from Juba 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) -- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "South Sudan Info - The Kob" group. To post to this group, send email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/SouthSudanKob?hl=en.
