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European Commission reaffirms the support to the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement and pledges €300 M for development of the Sudan

The European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, Louis Michel, attended today the Sudan Consortium conference in Oslo and announced that the European Commission will allocate further €300 million for development assistance for the five coming years in support of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA).

Speaking at the Oslo Conference, Commissioner Michel said: “Stability and democracy are vital for Sudan, Africa and the international community. Significant progress has been made since the signing of the Sudan Comprehensive Peace Agreement in December 2004, which brought an end to the oldest and deadliest civil wars in Africa. But much remains to be done. Now that we have reached the crucial mid-point of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement implantation period, it is time for donors to step up their support for Sudan's own efforts to foster democratic renewal throughout the country. The European Union reaffirms its commitment to support the Sudan in its efforts to continue the transition to a peaceful, stable and equitable democracy.”

Commissioner Michel also referred to the situation in Darfur, noting that "it is important that progress is made in the effective and timely deployment of UNAMID and that all parties engage genuinely in the peace process. It is also important that the security and access of humanitarian organisations is guaranteed to continue to provide vital relief to the civilian population which has suffered for far too long from this crisis. In this respect, we are concerned and chocked by reports of the bombing of a village in North Sudan on Sunday”.

Since 2005, the European Commission has effectively disbursed €1,2 billion in assistance to Sudan, including development and humanitarian aid, and support to the African union peace-keeping force (AMIS). This is well above the initial pledge of €500 M made at the April 2005 Oslo pledging conference.

The European Commission will allocate another €300 M for development assistance for the five coming years, in support of the CPA. On top of this, the European Commission will continue to provide vital humanitarian assistance in the order of €100 M for 2008 only.

In the margins of the Sudan Consortium, Commissioner Michel met with Sudanese Vice President Ali Osman Taha. He urged upon the Sudanese parties to stick to their commitments and to fully implementing the CPA and address the remaining contentious issues. He also expressed his concern about the situation in Darfur. He insisted on the importance of the rapid and effective deployment of UNAMID notably to ensuring the access and security of relief workers to the people in need.