U.S. Government gives $90 Million for Northern Uganda Reconstruction

The Government of the United States has set aside 90 million dollars for the reconstruction of the war-torn northern Uganda.
Addressing a news conference in Kampala today, the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, Steven Browning, said the funds allocated for the 2006 financial year will be availed after the peace talks taking place in Juba produce a deal to end the 20-year conflict.
Browning observed that the greatest effects of the Lord's Resistance Army insurgency will only be felt once a comprehensive solution to the conflict is reached. He said it is for that reason that the U.S. Government is partnering Uganda to mitigate the impact of the war and to help rebuild northern Uganda.
The U.S. programs in northern Uganda are being implemented through its international development agency, USAID.
The USAID Country Director, Margot Ellis, said that on Saturday her agency will on Saturday launch a new programme to support cotton farmers in northern Uganda. She said under the program, cotton farmers will receive seeds and training on agricultural inputs to increase yields.
The USAID program will also help about 12,000 farmers identify markets for their produce.
Ellis said the program is part of the broader USAID agenda to reintegrate displaced populations in northern Uganda and assist them to sustain meaningful livelihoods.
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An article published by the U.S. State Department news service last month listed Uganda among the top ten recipients of U.S. development aid in the 2005 calendar year.
According to the report, Uganda received 242 million dollars from the U.S. Government last year. Other top recipients were Iraq, Afghanistan, Sudan, Ethiopia, Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, Colombia and Serbia-Montenegro.