130 million dollars pledged for demobilisation

Eritrea's development partners have pledged US $130 million towards the country's demobilisation programme, the Eritrean ruling People's Front for Democracy and Justice web site, Shaebia, reported on 14 September. The pledges came at the end of a three-day conference, during which Eritrea presented its Transitional Economic Growth and Poverty Reduction Strategy, as well as details of its Demobilisation and Reintegration Programme (DRP), said Shaebia. The cost of the DRP would be US $190 million, which meant there would be a shortfall of US $60 million. Eritrea was already in the process of implementing the DRP with a view to demobilising 200,000 soldiers over the next 18 months.

Addressing the conference, Eritrean President Isayas Afewerki said that, under the demobilisation programme, 20,000 soldiers had already been placed in civilian jobs. However, he cautioned the conference participants that everything - including the size and pace of the DRP - would depend on the progress of the peace process, according to Shaebia. He urged donor countries to bring pressure to bear on Ethiopia to abide by the peace agreements. The biggest contributors to the DRP are the World Bank, with US $90 million, and the European Union (EU), with 47 million euros (US $42.8 million), while the Netherlands, which is already funding a pilot phase to demobilise 5,000 soldiers at a cost of US $4 million, has pledged another US $12.5 million. Denmark and Norway had respectively pledged US $2.5 million and US $1 million, said Shaebia.