The Daily Monitor reports that the European Commission (EU) has given 15 million Euros (about Shs32.4 billion) to support humanitarian assistance programmes in the war-ravaged northern Uganda. The funds will be managed and monitored by the Commission's Service for Humanitarian Aid (ECHO) and the Directorate General Humanitarian Aid.

The statement said the increase in funding was prompted by the revelation of very high mortality rates in 2005 in the region and the need to support primary health care in clinics closest to the displaced people. This includes prevention of malaria, scaled-up water supply and much needed family-based sanitation.

The New Vision reports that the people of Amuru internally displaced persons’ (IDP) camp in Kilak county, Gulu district, have asked the government and the UN to wipe out the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels so that they go back to their villages and grow food. State minister for northern Uganda rehabilitation Grace Akello was addressing the IDPs on Thursday evening, when the people gave her the message. “We want the government and the UN to help finish off the Kony rebels so that we can start growing food for ourselves. The food relief is not enough. We still fear that unless Kony and Otti are finished, the LRA rebels will still be a threat,” they said.

The Daily Monitor reports that a stench of burning human flesh saturated the air in the jungles of Omot in Pader as the Internally Displaced Persons stocked fire on the burning body of a Lords Resistance Army (LRA) rebel commander. The Uganda Peoples Defence Forces (UPDF) killed Capt. Kulio last week, but the residents snatched the body from the army and clobbered it to make sure it was 'totally dead'. The UPDF 5th Division Commander, Brig. George Etyang and the Division Spokesman Lt. Deo Akiiki had just finished addressing journalists on the achievements of an offensive code named "Operation Stop It" which was launched in mid- December to flush out remnants of the LRA rebels during this dry season.

Today’s Daily Monitor reports that dry-season fires in northern Uganda have left tens of thousands of IDPs homeless since last November. Over 13,500 have lost their homes in Pader district alone, and many are forced to sleep outdoors. Crowded IDP camps, in which the flammable thatched roofs of homes often touch each other, are especially vulnerable to fire. A Pader district official said that decongestion of the camps is the only way to prevent further homelessness.

William Bionx Akena, Uganda-CAN news correspondent in Gulu town, reports -

The army has called upon the civilians within the internally displaced people's (IDP) camps to be very careful about cultivating far away from the camps because of Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) attacks against them.

Speaking to MegaFM this morning, the northern army spokesman Lt. Chris Magezi said these cultivations are supposed to be supplements to the World Food Program supplies, but IDPs should not risk their lives going very far to cultivate. He also stated that the situation at the moment is calm, but not very safe. He said the army is always cautious and ready to protect the peace for civilians during and after this election period.