The European Union has pledged more than 200 million Euros to kick start development in the new nation of South Sudan if it signs the Cotonou Agreement.
French social democrat parliamentarian Patrice Tirolien, who heads the European Parliament delegation from the Committee on Development to South Sudan, said the new nation will be given more than 200 million Euros if it signs the Cotonou, ACP and economic partnership agreement.Italian Liberal and Democrat EMP Niccol˜ Rinaldi said coordinating aid in South Sudan is a challenge.
He added that the EU is aware of corruption in the region.
This is not the first time the EU donates humanitarian funds to South Sudan. Over the past six years, the Union has donated a sum of 164 million Euros.
The delegation urged the new nation to apply the lessons learned in other areas where coordination among donors and optimum use of available funds are paramount.
They further called for local empowerment to avoid a culture of dependency, and also to create a Sovereign Fund for Oil Revenues with strict criteria for their use for development.