World Bank pledges aid for Aceh after truce

World Bank pledges aid for Aceh after truce

Nani Farida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh, Aceh

The World Bank pledged on Tuesday to provide nearly US$10 million
(around Rp 89 billion) this year in support of last month's peace
agreement to cease 26 years of hostilities in the troubled
province of Aceh.

Scott Guggenheim, a senior World Bank official, said his
office would allocate around US$8 million (Rp 72 billion) to
finance the Subdistrict Development Program (PPK) in the
province.

In addition, between US$500,000 and US$1.5 million in aid
would also be earmarked to help promote the empowerment of widows
whose husbands were killed in the separatist conflict since 1976,
he said.

Guggenheim was speaking at a news conference in the Aceh
capital of Banda Aceh, where he accompanied World Bank country
director Andrew Steer during a two-day visit to the province.

Among the delegation members were United States Ambassador
Ralph L. Boyce, Japanese Ambassador Yutaka Iimura and Italian
Ambassador Franscesco Maria Greco. They were accompanied by
Coordinating Minister for Political and Security Affairs Susilo
Bambang Yudhoyono and Minister of Industry and Trade Rini
Soewandi.

The delegation ended the visit on Tuesday and flew back to
Jakarta.

The World Bank also pledged more assistance funds to help
develop education in the troubled province.

Guggenheim could not give the amount of the aid however, as
the World Bank was gathering more data on educational needs in
Aceh, where hundreds of school buildings were attacked or set
ablaze in the fighting.

Steer echoed Guggenheim's statements, saying the World Bank
would begin disbursing the pledged funds next month.

Around 200 people are being trained as facilitators in
channeling the money properly, Steer added.

Aside from the World Bank, foreign donor countries and the
Indonesian government have also pledged to fund several "quick
impact" reconstruction projects designed to show the benefits of
peace to the Aceh people.

"Peace in Aceh is like a new born baby," said Japan's Iimura.
"All sides, including us, must look after this baby."

Meanwhile, Boyce told the same news conference that the one-
month-old peace process in Aceh is entering a "critical" time.

"We understand that these are critical times for peace in
Aceh," he was quoted by AP as saying. "The international
community stands ready to work with (the people of Aceh) on the
hard work necessary to make peace," he added.

The truce, signed on Dec. 9, has stemmed, but not completely
stopped, bloodshed in the province, which has claimed more than
10,000 lives since the mid 1970s.

Separately, At least two soldiers were severely injured after
being shot by what was believed to be around 10 gunmen in renewed
violence on Tuesday at Lokop village in Serba subdistrict, East
Aceh regency.

"Second Lt. Ferdiansyah and Second Pvt Warsoyo were shot by
GAM members on their way to a nearby military post," East Aceh
military chief Lt. Col. M. Naqim claimed.

The Joint Security Committee, which is comprised of GAM, the
government and HDC members, confirmed the incident took place,
but would not confirm who was responsible.