Military

12 April 2005

State Official Outlines U.S. Financial Commitment to Peace in Sudan

Deputy Secretary of State Zoellick speaks at Oslo donors' conference

In morning remarks April 12 at the Oslo Donors' Conference on Sudan in Norway, Deputy Secretary of State Robert Zoellick outlined the U.S. financial commitment to achieving and maintaining peace in Sudan.

Following is an excerpt from Zoellick's remarks:

(begin excerpt)

My country wants to improve the prospects for success for Sudan, the Comprehensive Peace Agreement and the resolution of conflicts in Darfur.  That is why the United States will seek to provide between one and two billion dollars for this cause over the next two years.  The United States will commit 853 million dollars for the needs identified in the 2005 Human Work Plan and the Joint Assessment Fisher report, assistance to the African Union Mission, and other necessities in Sudan.  President Bush has requested almost another 900 million dollars more for this year or next in the budgets that are now in consideration before the U.S. Congress, which has provided many voices of conscience for Sudan.  Together the President's current commitment and the new request total over 1.7 billion dollars. And this support comes on top of the 630 million dollars that the United States devoted to Sudan in 2004.

(end excerpt)

(Distributed by the Bureau of International Information Programs, U.S. Department of State. Web site: http://usinfo.state.gov)