Donor conference commences in Doha

Hundreds of delegates from 36 countries, 22 UN agencies and 60 regional and international organizations are meeting in Doha for the donor conference to raise support for the reconstruction and development of Darfur. Sheikh Hamad bin Jassim bin Jabor Al Thani, Qatar’s Prime Minister, opened the International Donor Conference for Reconstruction and Development of Darfur at the Doha Ritz-Carlton Hotel on Sunday and expressed his hope for a succesful conference.An estimated 7 billion US dollars is needed for the reconstruction and development of Darfur.  Dr. Nabil el Araby, Secretary-General of the Arab League, Sudan’s first Vice-President Ali Osman as well as Dr. Tijani Sese, head of the Darfur Regional Authority, appealed to all the participants to contribute to the reconstruction of Darfur and to peace and stability in the five states of Darfur. In a speech, Sese said that the challenge for the donors is to support the pace of development to improve the humanitarian situation in Darfur. He emphasized that any discussion without actual development does not serve the peace process and stability and development in Sudan. Photo: Qatar News Agency