Kampala — SWEDEN has withheld 65 million kronor (8.25 million dollars) support to Uganda due to concerns about the country's democratic development.
According to a yesterday statement by the Swedish Embassy and signed by Carin Jämtin, the Swidish Minister for International Development Cooperation, 25 million kronor ($3 million) has been re-directed for disaster relief in the war-torn northern Uganda.
"The government has decided to withhold SEK 65 million in budget support to Uganda in light of the negative democratic development in the country. Instead, SEK 25 million of the funds allocated to Uganda will be used directly for disaster relief in the war-torn northern area of the country," the statement reads in part.
The Minister of State for Information, Dr James Nsaba Buturo, in response to the aid cut told Daily Monitor by telephone yesterday that; "Our attitude, and this goes for any future action, is that we are resolute on the way forward. We have a clear picture of where we have come from and we shall not go back," he said.
"We welcome the support from our friends, but our assessment doesn't tally with theirs. As far as we are concerned, we are on course. We want to assure all those who care to listen that the country's path to democracy is on course."
According to the Political Officer at the Swedish Embassy in Kampala, Ms Anna Lekvall, the current humanitarian crisis in northern Uganda is part of the reason the money was re-directed from an earlier commitment of $8 million.
A report, 'Health Mortality Survey for Northern Uganda' released early this year indicated that 1,000 lives are lost every week in the war savaged northern Uganda, the highest mortality rate in the world.
The Lord's Resistance Army rebels led by Joseph Kony have fought the government since 1988.
As a result, thousands of lives have been lost and 1.6 million people displaced.
The importance of the 2006 general elections is greater than before because Sweden says its future aid will depend on them.
"After the elections, we will make a new evaluation of the situation in the country regarding democratic development, including the way the elections are carried out, and then decide if we can pay the remaining fund earmarked for budget support," said.
The elections will be Uganda's first under a mutli-party system since 1980. The transition has been bogged by the imprisonment of the Forum for Democratic Change leader Col. Kizza Besigye.
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He is widely seen as President Yoweri Museveni's closest challenger.
Besigye is facing charges of treason, concealment of treason and rape in the High Court.
He is also charged with terrorism and illegal possession of firearms by the General Court Martial.
Uganda's partners in democracy and development have been keen followers of the Besigye case, and have urged the state for the trail to be fair and expeditious.
"Sweden will continue to carefully monitor the situation in Uganda, and maintain dialogue with the government. The implementation of a multiparty system earlier this year was a step in the right direction. I hope the Ugandan government will resume the work for a pluralistic political system. This will be of major importance when we discuss a new cooperation strategy during the coming year." the statement said.
Sweden joins the list of several European governments including Britain, Netherlands, Norway and Ireland that have since withheld aid because of problems associated with Uganda's transition to multi-party politics.
Britain, which withheld Shs17 billion in March citing at the time concerns over several aspects of the transition. Sweden's move is likely to receive criticism from the government, which has always argued that the donors should not dictate to it what or what not to do.
