New York  - Sudan and the UN Development Programme agreed Wednesday on a plan to re-integrate 180,000 ex-combatants into society three years after Khartoum and rebels in southern Sudan signed a peace agreement to end their decades-long civil war.

Khartoum's government of National Unity, the government of Southern Sudan and UNDP signed the agreement after donors, particularly Japan, decided to financially back the re-integration programmes estimated at 430 million dollars over a four-year period.

The programmes call for supporting the long-term social, economic and psychological reintegration of former combatants.

UNDP said the agreement built on achievements made on the demobilization and disarmament of combatants on both sides in the war following the 2005 north-south peace agreement, which is being monitored by a 10,000-strong UN peacekeeping operation. (dpa)