A donor meeting for Darfur held in Cairo on Sunday raised less than half the targeted 2 billion US dollar (10,8 milliarder DKR) for development in Sudans violent western region after several countries refrained from pledging over security worries.
Despite the shortfall, Sudan said it was not disappointed by the results of the one-day meeting, which officials said raised 841 million dollar for projects such as cement plants, roads and villages for displaced people in Darfur.
– The pledges are just a start, Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC) Secretary-General Ekmeleddin Ihsanoglu said.
The participants included countries such as Germany, Belgium, Kuwait, Iran and Saudi Arabia. Egypt and Turkey acted as the co-chairs. The 57-member OIC wants the money to be spent on agriculture, water and housing.
– The Darfur issue is mainly an issue of development, Egyptian Foreign Minister Ahmed Abul Gheit said.
– Peace in Darfur will not only be achieved through political agreements but also through humanitarian and development assistance, Turkish Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu said noted.
Kilde: www.worldbank.org
