December 21, 2001	Friday	Shawwal 5, 1422

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BRUSSELS, Dec 20: Major donors launched a big aid scheme for Afghanistan on Thursday, saying it could grow into funding worth billions of dollars if the country’s new government keeps peace among rival ethnic groups.

A two-day conference, led by the European Union, Japan, Saudi Arabia and the United States, assessed how to coordinate aid needed to rebuild the country as it emerges from two decades of conflict.

A US official said the lure of massive aid to rebuild cities, roads and bridges, boost the crippled agriculture sector and reinvent public institutions was an incentive for Afghan warlords to set aside weapons and back the interim cabinet.

“We need this opportunity to warn armed factions and some of the militias that they must back the new government or we cannot do our reconstruction,” said Andrew Natsios, chief administrator of the US Agency for International Development (USAID).

The conference agreed to create an initial 20 million dollars fund for Afghanistan’s new administration, which is to take office on Saturday and rule for six months.

“This fund will mainly help pay salaries of government officials and equip their offices,” said Natsios.

Humanitarian aid began to pour into Afghanistan after its rival factions agreed on the interim cabinet, but many donors say the action must be better coordinated to prevent funds from being wasted and misused.—Reuters