WB to train 300 Acehnese for community development

WB to train 300 Acehnese for community development

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

To support the peace process in Aceh, the World Bank (WB) pledged
on Friday to expand its community development program in the
strife-torn province and provide training for the Acehnese.

World Bank Deputy Director for Asia Pacific Jemal-ud-din
Kassum said the program would start as soon as possible.

"We are expanding the community development program into Aceh
and 300 facilitators will be immediately trained for the
program," Kassum said after meeting President Megawati
Soekarnoputri on Friday.

"The CGI is also committed to fully funding the peace
monitoring program," said Kassum, referring to the recently-
concluded Consultative Group on Indonesia (CGI) meeting in Bali.

However, he did not elaborate on the amount of funds allocated
for Aceh, which is part of the US$400 million grant pledged by
CGI donor countries at the meeting.

Kassum met with President Megawati to report the results of
the CGI meeting, which he chaired, in which donor countries
agreed to give loans totaling US$2.7 billion to support
Indonesia's economic recovery program.

WB also co-chaired the Dec. 3 meeting in Tokyo, during which
donor countries agreed to set up a trust fund to rebuild warn-
torn Aceh.

Kassum praised the commitment of the Indonesian government in
upholding the cessation of hostilities agreement signed with the
Free Aceh Movement (GAM) on Dec. 9 last year.

To follow up the agreement and ensure peace in the province,
peace monitoring teams, consisting of 150 officials from the
Indonesian government, GAM fighters, and representatives of the
Henry Dunant Centre, a Switzerland-based non-governmental
organization that brokered the peace agreement.

The Joint Security Committee (JSC) is in charge of overseeing
the implementation of the peace pact.

"We will work very closely with the central government to
determine the assistance needed for Aceh to support the peace
process," Kassum said.

In the Tokyo meeting, 23 donor countries and agencies pledged
to immediately support the rehabilitation and reconstruction of
Aceh as soon as peace and order was restored.

Kassum said the World Bank would implement the pledges quickly
as economic development was one of the main factors that could
help maintain peace in the province.

GAM has been fighting for independence in the country's
westernmost province since 1976. More than 10,000 people, mostly
innocent civilians have been killed since then.