Kampala — THE Government is to design a new country map, the lands state minister, Kasirivu Atwooki, has said.

"The re-mapping of the districts and country's boundaries will help resolve conflicts in the country and the region," Kasirivu told journalists in Kampala last week.

Atwooki said the exercise will be based on old treaties.

"We are not drawing a new map, but restating our borders with neighbouring countries," he said.

There are 83 districts, up from 18 districts at Independence in 1962.

The minister said they will depend on the 1900 Agreement when drawing kingdom boundaries.

He added that a land suitability study would be presented to the Cabinet soon.

"The land suitability map will help us advise farmers on the best farming methods," he said.

The re-mapping exercise is being carried out by the Regional Centre for Mapping of Resources for Development, which comprises 15 member states.

Kasirivu said the sixth conference of ministers from the 15 countries advised the African Union to re-map the borders of the countries under the centre.