Donors pledge $4.8 billion to Sudanese Government

May 09, 2008

        Donor countries and organizations have pledged to donate $4.8 billion to the government of Sudan over the next three years up to 2011. The countries made their pledges May 6 in Oslo following a $6 billion request by the Sudanese government. Sudan claims it will use the funds for development in South Sudan and Darfur. Many donor countries also stressed that the government of Sudan must abide by the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) that ended the 21-year civil Sudanese civil war.

Damanga is disappointed that the international community has pledged $4.8 billion to the Sudanese government. Damanga is not opposed to development in South Sudan, however providing these funds to Khartoum may allow the genocide in Darfur to continue. The international community should have given a voice to the South Sudanese government when it made this decision. South Sudan has its own government-- the funds for development should be given directly to them.

Damanga urges the international community to pressure Khartoum to end the genocide in Darfur, and for countries to donate more troops to the UNAMID peacekeeping forces in Darfur.