By Bruno Waterfield - 9th June 2004
An EU Africa peace fund has “got off to a good start” with a rapid €12 million response for Sudan.
The first cash for peace-keeping operations has been cleared just 12 days after a request from an African Union mission to broker the Darfur cease fire.
The UK, Denmark and Ireland have also pledged to support peace-keeeping operations.
Funding – from a €250m ‘Africa Peace Facility’ in the European Development Fund – will aid a 120-strong observer mission backed up by 270 African troops.
“Six to nine military observers” from the EU have also been requested by the multinational African peace force.
EU aid chief Poul Nielson stressed the cash would back “effective and responsible leadership by the Africans”.
“The African Union has shown just that in its response to the Darfur crisis. This is greatly encouraging and raises prospects not only of a lasting end to the conflict in Darfur but for peace across the African continent,” he said.
Brussels is patting itself on the back for a rapid response to an African Union request made on May 28 from a fund that was only set up on April 19 2004.
“I also take great satisfaction in the swiftness with which the EU has dealt with the African Union request. The Peace Facility is a new instrument that could become an important tool in the construction of the new peace and security agenda in Africa,” said Nielson.
“The EU will be a credible partner in the African Unions aspirations to assume the necessary leadership of this peace and security agenda.”
A Darfur cease-fire was signed in the Ethiopian capital of Addis Ababa on May 28 following bitter ethnic conflict between millions of Arab and African Sudanese.
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