DRA: 8 billion dollars needed to reconstruct Darfur

The minister and spokesman for the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA), Dr Tijani Sese, announced that about eight billion dollars will be necessary to reconstruct Darfur, adding this money will be used for development and services in the region. Speaking in a news conference held in Khartoum on Wednesday, 31 October, Ibrahim Musa Madibbo said this amount was estimated as a result of assessments carried out by the Sudanese government with the participation of international partners. He added that this financial review will be presented during the upcoming donors’ conference in Doha, Qatar, next December. Nevertheless, the minister also indicated that more than eight billion dollars might eventually be necessary for Darfur due to fluctuations in the exchange rate of the dollar. The minister expressed optimism concerning the success of the upcoming donors’ conference in Doha. He attributed this to the participation of the international community in the evaluation and initial preparations concerning development needs in Darfur that include the return of displaced persons, refugees and war-affected individuals to the ‘stability of their homes’.