DRA head announces 2014 development and rehabilitation budgets for Darfur

The Chairman of the Darfur Regional Authority (DRA), Dr Tijani Sese, has announced that the Sudanese Ministry of Finance has assigned SDG300 million ($52 million) in cash in the general budget for the year 2014. “A further $900 million has been assigned as banking credits and $600 million as loans for implementing development and rehabilitation projects in Darfur region.” Addressing the opening of the Fourth Session of the Council of the Darfur Regional Authority in El Fasher on Monday, Dr Sese said that efforts are ongoing currently, in coordination with Qatari organisations, to inaugurate five voluntary return villages in North, West, Central, East, and South Darfur. He indicated that these villages are to be supplied with basic services and utilities. Dr Sese said that work has begun implementing 115 rehabilitation and development projects in the Darfur region. These are in the fields of education, health, police, and housing for teachers. He highlighted ongoing efforts to establish a Voluntary Return Camp to accommodate 30,000 displaced along the Western Salvation Highway in the Zalingei sector. He referred to an agreement reached with the federal Ministries of Roads and Bridges, and Finance to launching an international move to provide finance to complete the establishment of the Western Salvation Highway. This will be done via loans, in conjunction with funding from the Ministry of Finance. Dr Sese indicated that contracts would be signed in the coming weeks for completing implementation of a project to link Nyala, El Fasher, Zalingei and El Geneina with the national electricity grid.File photo: DRA Chairman Dr Tijani Sese (Albert González Farran / Unamid)