Qatar denounces lack of Darfur aid

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Qatar hit out Monday at countries for unfulfilled aid pledges to conflict-hit Darfur, as Doha announced it will spend about $70 million this year building 10 villages in the Sudanese region.

Deputy Prime Minister Ahmed bin Abdullah al-Mahmoud told reporters following a Darfur donors' meeting in the Qatari capital that he was "not completely satisfied" with aid levels and would look for new donors.

"We are satisfied with some countries that have already committed," he said, without naming them.

"Some countries really showed commitment, some started to promise commitment... we do not wait for those who promise but we want to get new partners involved."

Shahin Ali al-Kaabi, Qatar's representative at the meeting, said his country would "establish another 10 model villages in Darfur worth $70 million this year".

The meeting was attended by delegates from the UN Development Programme and the European Union, as well as a number of donor countries.

Darfur has been engulfed by violence since ethnic insurgents rebelled against Khartoum's rule 12 years ago, complaining of economic and political marginalisation by the Arab-dominated government in Khartoum.

President Omar al-Bashir's government unleashed a brutal counter-offensive using Arab militia and the military.

The United Nations says some 300,000 people have been killed in the western region since 2003, and another 2.5 million forced to flee their homes.

Bashir has been indicted by the International Criminal Court for alleged war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide charges related to the conflict.

The situation in Darfur has deteriorated in recent years because of a spike in criminality and inter-tribal disputes over land and resources.

Bashir said last month that the conflict would end in 2016.