Sudan Seeks Billions in Aid as U.N. Urges Darfur Peace

At a two-day 60-nation conference in Oslo, Norway on Monday, Sudan sought to get $2.6 billion from donors to help its south recover after Africa’s longest civil war. Sudan’s government and former rebels vowed to stick to their January deal to terminate the 21 years of fighting in one of the world’s poorest nations. Donors made pledges which have totalled hundreds of millions of dollars.

"We will run out of food for 2 million people in a matter of weeks," warned U.N. Secretary-General Kofi Annan to delegates at the conference. "If ever there was a time for donors to get off the fence, it is now."

A report was submitted by the United Nations and World Bank which says Sudan needs $2.6 billion in aid to the end of 2007 to construct everything from schools to roads. It has been backed by the Khartoum government and the former rebel Sudan People’s Liberation Movement (SPLM).

"In south Sudan we are starting from scratch," said SPLM leader John Garang. According to Annan, Sudan needs to raise just under $1.0 billion for the rest of 2005 out of a planned $1.5 billion budget needed for the year.

Norway pledged to offer $250 million to Sudan in the three years to 2007, Japan promised to offer $100 million, and Germany pledged $32.05 million if Sudan carried out the January accord. However, both sides have fallen behind in implementing the January agreement as they dispute over Sudan's oil riches.

The two-decade civil war, which pitted the Islamic government in the north against rebels based in the mostly animist and Christian south, has killed over 2 million people and displaced 4 million people in a conflict with issues of oil, ethnicity and ideology.

In the past year, tens of thousands have died in the Darfur region of Western Sudan with attacks by Arab militia allied to the government.

"What is important in Darfur is that measures are taken to check the militia ... and those who are causing atrocities," Anna said in a new conference after meeting with Sudan’s First Vice President Ali Osman Mohamed Taha.

A coalition government will be set up by Sudan and the SPLM under the January North-South peace deal. Revenues from the oil production will be shared and they will decentralise power, and form joint military units.

The total estimated reconstruction needs is $7.9 billion and the aid request of $2.6 billion is a third of the total cost. Most of the cash aside from the aid will come from Sudan’s oil production of 320,000 barrels per day.