CAIRO: Organizers of an international conference due later this month on rebuilding Sudan’s war-torn Darfur region said on Thursday they hope to raise $2 billion for development projects.
The March 21 meeting co-chaired by Egypt and Turkey “aims at sending a clear message to the international community that development is a key factor in achieving peace and stability in Darfur, Egypt said in a statement.
Organizers aim to raise the money to finance development in agriculture, water, healthcare and education, according to documents provided by the Egyptian authorities and the Organization of the Islamic Conference (OIC).
Representatives of the 57-member OIC will attend the conference which will be held under the auspices of the pan-Islamic organization, along with delegates from other countries and from non-governmental organizations.
The Darfur conflict has claimed about 300,000 lives and displaced 2.7 million people, according to UN figures, since it erupted in February 2003. Khartoum puts the death toll at 10,000. -AFP
