Donors' conference for Darfur begins in Cairo

Cairo, March 21 (DPA) International donors gathered in Cairo Sunday for a conference to raise $2 billion in aid for the western Sudanese province of Darfur that has been battered by seven years of war.

The conference, organised by the Organisation of the Islamic Conference (OIC) and co-hosted by Egypt and Turkey, follows ceasefire agreements with two Darfur rebel groups. It comes three weeks ahead of national elections in Sudan.

Some 80 countries - including the 57 members of the OIC and about 25 non-members - have been invited, as well as representatives of the United Nations, the African Union, the Arab League and about 50 other international and non-governmental organisations.

Egypt's Deputy Foreign Minister Mohammed Qassim said the conference seeks pledges of $2 billion for long-term development projects in housing, agriculture, cement production, road infrastructure development, women's empowerment, and agricultural development.

Egypt, which is co-hosting the ministerial-level conference with Turkey, has said in a statement it hopes the conference will "send a clear message to the international community that development is central to achieving peace and stability in Darfur".

Thursday the Darfur rebel group the Liberation and Justice Movement signed a ceasefire and a framework peace agreement with the government.

That deal followed last month's ceasefire and framework peace agreement with the larger rebel group, the Justice and Equality Movement (JEM).

However, talks aimed at producing a final peace agreement between JEM and the government have already hit snags, with participants missing last week's deadline to produce a final deal.

The organisers of Sunday's conference said they hoped it would provide an "incentive to all Darfur movements" to join the peace process.

The Sudan Liberation Army, another rebel movement, has so far refused to join peace talks, and earlier this month clashed with government forces in central Darfur's Jebel Marra plateau.

The United Nations estimates that as many as 300,000 people have died and another 2.7 million were left homeless since rebels in Darfur began their campaign against the government in 2003.