Rosemary Okello
9 April 2005
Oslo — The Norwegian Minister for International Development Hilde Frafjord Johnson yesterday called for a multi-donor trust fund approach in the reconstruction of the new Sudan.
This would act as a model for support for the war-torn areas ahead of the international donor conference scheduled for next week.
Speaking during the opening of Sudan Civil Society Forum ahead of the meeting, Johnson said the post-conflict reconstruction especially in Southern Sudan will be challenging unless the government involves civil society.
"Other than the trust fund where all the donors will deposit their money, I would also like to see capacity building for the north and south Sudan where both governments will run their own service delivery system."
She added that if the government in Sudan is not strengthened it could affect the peace agreement.
But the US and the EU governments have not agreed to such arrangements. According to John Andruga Duku, representative of Sudan People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) to the Nordic Countries, the US and EU are unlikely to agree with the model because their legislation on funds has no provision allowing them to be managed by other parties.
"But SPLM is committed to the multi-donor trust fund rather than a situation where each donor manages its own funds," said Duku.
He said that even though various donors will pledge aid according to their priority, the funds should be placed in a trust catering for north and south Sudan separately.
Currently a critical priority area for the SPLM for the people of the south is security. "We do not have a functioning police force nor a judiciary system. Neither do we have clean water, roads, education, food production and economic activities. The needs of our people are enormous and SPLM is committed to solving these needs based on gender and the agreement that the 50 per cent of oil income should go to the government of the Southern Sudan as our in-put into the reconstruction program," Duku explained.
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