U.S. Ambassador Travels to Northern Uganda, Karamoja and Soroti

U.S. Ambassador Steven A. Browning makes his second trip to areas in northern Uganda this week, visiting U.S. government aid projects and meeting with officials and local community representatives in Kitgum, Palabek Kal, Wol, Kidepo National Park, Kaabong, Wera and Soroti from May 1-May 4.  This trip underscores the priority that the American government places on helping to resolve the conflict in Uganda's north, and provide humanitarian assistance to the people affected by conflict in northern Uganda, eastern Uganda and Karamoja.

During his trip, the Ambassador will make stops at two humanitarian aid projects funded by the U.S. Department of Defense (DOD), through the U.S. Embassy's Defense Attache's Office.  On May 1, in Palabek Kal, Kitgum District, Ambassador Browning will visit a windmill project that is providing clean and safe water for a health clinic, as well as local community residents.  On May 4, in Wera, Amuria District, he will dedicate a DOD-funded building at the Wera Technical School, a school which provides training to children and youth.

The Ambassador also will be looking at programs in the north that are supported by the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID).  He will visit the Kitgum Concerned Women's Association Reception Center where ex-combatants and formerly abducted children returning from Lord's Resistance Army captivity receive assistance with basic needs, rehabilitation counseling and reintegration into their communities.  At the Center, the Ambassador will have the opportunity to meet with returnees and hear how their lives have been affected by the long-running conflict in northern Uganda.

The trip to the north will include visits to hospitals in Kitgum and Kaabong that receive funding through the U.S. President's Emergency Plan for HIV-AIDS Relief.  At Kitgum's St. Joseph's Hospital, the Ambassador will learn about the hospital's voluntary counseling and testing services and outreach.  At Kaabong District Hospital in Karamoja, the Ambassador will see an anti-retroviral treatment clinic that is providing life-saving drugs to HIV positive clients.

Finally, the Ambassador will travel to Kidepo Valley National Park, where USAID gave a grant to the Wildlife Conservation Society to assess the impact of conflict on the environment and natural resource management and review the possibility of transboundary conservation initiatives.

For further information, please contact Alyson Grunder, Public Affairs Officer, U.S. Embassy (Tel: 41-259-791) or email: grunderal@state.gov.