WASHINGTON, February 9, 2011—The World Bank Group congratulates the Sudanese authorities and citizens for completing another major milestone of the 2005 Comprehensive Peace Agreement.
The Bank’s priority remains helping Sudan to provide comprehensive and inclusive development for its people. To help accelerate this process, the Bank will intensify its focus on policy, institutional and investment issues. This includes areas in which authorities in the North and South will need to continue to cooperate and collaborate so as to maximize the economic dividend from the historic referendum.
"This marks an incredible opportunity, but also a huge generational challenge. Therefore, as Southern Sudan embarks on the process toward July 2011 to formalize its independence, measures that help secure a stable and inclusive state, and consolidate peace through development and economic cooperation have become even more imperative,” said Obiageli Ezekwesili, World Bank Vice President for the Africa Region. The Bank also stands ready to continue working with authorities in Khartoum to address key development challenges in the rest of the country.
The World Bank Group looks forward to continued close collaboration with key partners, including bilateral and multilateral donors, the UN, the private sector, and non-governmental organizations.
