HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud addresses the conference.

QNA/Doha

HE the Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of State for Cabinet Affairs Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud yesterday said Qatar would continue fulfilling its commitments to the people of Darfur.
He said Qatar, with the support of its partners, has succeeded in finalising a document laying down the foundations for peace in Darfur.
“We have insisted that this document should include the necessary foundations to pave the way for a comprehensive development strategy for Darfur, and we did mobilise financial support for the needs of recovery and development for the long-term through the International Donors Conference (IDC) and other institutions,” al-Mahmoud said at the third meeting of the Darfur Reconstruction Council held at Four Seasons Hotel Doha.
Qatar contributed $500mn at the IDC, of which $80mn is allocated for the early recovery projects and for the basic projects contained in Darfur development strategy, according to a memorandum of understanding signed with the UN Development Programme (UNDP) during the last session of the UN general Assembly, he added.
Al-Mahmoud said this contribution represents 50% of the total budget for these projects. “Ten million dollars has already been transferred to the UN Development Programme. Also a memorandum of understanding has been signed with the Qatar Charity Society for drilling of 300 wells over three years with total cost of $3,” he said.
“Within the framework of our efforts to expand our partnership of development, an agreement was concluded with the United Kingdom Department of International Development to contribute with Qatar in establishing a huge water project in Darfur, during the visit of HH the Emir Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad al-Thani to the United Kingdom in November last year,” he said.
Qatar has completed the first phase development initiative to build five model villages of services in Darfur’s Rongtas, Wararah, Bulbul, Tembaska and Um-dhay states to encourage the voluntary return of people. Three of them opened last June, and the others will open this month. These villages cost approximately $31mn.
The second stage of Qatar projects will include the establishment of another 10 similar villages at a cost of $70mn, to be executed next year. A project concerning nomadic tribes will be also launched next year that cost $50mn, as they have a good impact on the return of people to their original places, and compensate them for the years of displacement, suffering and depravity.
In this regard, al-Mahmoud pointed that arrangements for the establishment of Darfur Development Bank which was announced by HH the Father Emir Sheikh Hamad bin Khalifa al-Thani are proceeding well. After the completion of the final structure of the bank, and conducting the necessary studies of the regional and local expertise institutions regarding the needs of Darfur, the structural aspects, its association with considerations of international development, and benefit from the experiences of some similar banks that had been established for similar purposes, he added.
He said a meeting of potential shareholders of the bank will be convened at the headquarters of the General Secretariat of the Organisation of Islamic Bank in Jeddah soon, explaining that the activities of the bank will be confined to Darfur, and it will provide needed fund for small projects which help the people of Darfur to secure means of living and enhance the chances of peace.
Al-Mahmoud said the reconstruction and development operations in Darfur are not free from difficulties and challenges. In addition to the huge deterioration that disrupted the activities of Darfur’s economy over the past years the whole Sudan’s economy is facing very difficult obstacles. Accordingly, it is necessary to mobilise donors to supplant the recovery and development programmes in accordance with the specific needs.
He praised what had been done by some donors who fulfilled their commitment by establishing hospitals, dams, power and water plants.
“We mention here with gratitude Turkey, Germany, the Arab League, the Arab Fund for Economic Development, Qatari charitable organisations and others whose activities had a positive impact on the life of the people”’ he said adding, “In this context we appreciate the efforts of Reconstruction Fund in executing a number of basic projects which started in 2013 in the field of education, health, water, electricity and others.”
Al-Mahmoud added: “There are 315 projects which have already opened as part the first matrix, out of 1,071 waiting implementation, including schools, health centres and police stations besides the five villages that Qatar established.”
Chairman of Darfur Regional Authority Tijani al-Sisi reviewed the projects established in Darfur. He expressed his thanks to HH the Emir as well as the country’s government and people for the role they played in completing those projects. He highlighted the model villages built by Qatar as an example of providing support to the people of Darfur.