Canada leads the way as donors pledge $ for Darfur peacekeeping

[Adelante]

Canada leads the way as donors pledge $200 million US for Darfur peacekeeping

12:02 PM EDT May 26


ADDIS ABABA, Ethiopia (AP) - International donors, led by Canada, pledged an additional $200 million US to fund the African Union peacekeeping operation in Darfur on Thursday. The Canadian pledge, by far the largest at a conference to raise money to stop the ongoing violence in western Sudan, promised the equivalent of $134 million US.

The United States said it would contribute an additional $50 million on top of the $95 million already committed.

The U.S. State Department's senior representative on Sudan, Charles Snyder, said the money was being pledged to help end what he called "acts of genocide."

The African Union has 2,270 troops in western Sudan attempting to stop fighting between rebels and Arab militias, but has plans to increase that number to more than 12,300. The African Union has asked for $723 million US to help finance and equip the Darfur operation, but was $350 million short at the beginning of Thursday's conference.

Britain pledged $12 million US on Thursday and Germany $1.25 million. Other countries made smaller pledges, or offered troops.

-more-

http://www.cbc.ca/cp/world/050526/w052622.html

[wildflower]

1. Thanks for posting this

:kick:

[wildflower]

2. kick n/t

[applegrove]

3. Check out today's Darfur Daily News May 26, 2005

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_topic&forum=104&topic_id=3736412#

[maddezmom]

4. "Bush Silent"

sickening isn't it. :puke:

[Lisa]

5. Paul Martin's trying to get David Kilgour back on board?

He's the Independent MP who hinted that he'd support the government if they increased aid for Darfur.

[Spazito]

6. Actually, he was speaking of the need in Darfur well before

the non-confidence vote. Here is an article from Sept/04:

Martin urges 'bold steps' to end Darfur tragedy

Prime Minister Paul Martin called on world leaders to take "bold steps" to end the fighting and famine in the western Sudan region of Darfur.

Speaking at the United Nations' General Assembly, Martin called for swift action to protect civilians in the region.

"Darfur is a human tragedy of immense proportions," Martin said in his first speech to the UN as Canada's prime minister.

"The United Nations is our moral conscience. The time has come for us to act."

more

http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/1095851405426_22

This one move by Martin re the funding that I believe it is important to him for reasons beyond politics.

[Lisa]

7. I hope he also weighs in on the polio eradication project

Since it appears that the government is safe for now, and people are looking to them for positive initiatives. I know this is another issue the PM is concerned about (he had polio as a youngster).

[applegrove]

8. But didn't Martin get all of a sudden more efficient at putting policy

out there when it looked like the Budget was going to be a problem because of Gomery.