Brussels, 05/05/2006 (Agence Europe) - In order to encourage the signing of a peace deal in the war-torn Darfur region of Sudan, the European Commission announced on Thursday a EUR 100 million package covering humanitarian and immediate recovery needs for the region. But some rebel groups' refusal to sign the deal with Khartoum is casting doubt on the ultimate outcome of the talks in Abuja (Nigeria) within the scheduled deadline.
In a press release published on Thursday, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, said: “This agreement will be a real progress on the way towards a peaceful and prosperous Sudan and I wish to congratulate the African Union negotiators and the parties (at the Abuja talks, Ed.) for their determination in achieving the agreement which should be signed soon. It will then be our joint challenge to rapidly bring the concrete peace dividends and consolidate peace on the ground”.
The European Commission explains that since the beginning of the Darfur crisis, it has provided close to €400 mil in humanitarian aid and support to AMIS (the AU mission in Sudan). The Commissioner added: “We are impatient to turn our efforts towards rehabilitation and development of Darfur, with the involvement of all the afflicted populations of the region”.