Dennis Ojwee
4 June 2008
Kampala — Internally displaced people (IDPs), who have resettled in their villages, have threatened to return to the camps if the Government does not provide them with clean water.
Over 300 residents of Lalworo village in Paicho sub-county, Gulu district, made the warning last Saturday while meeting Lt. Col. Francis Achoka-Ongom, the UPDF officer in charge of the resettlement programme.
The meeting was aimed at collecting people's views on how to ensure that displaced people return to their villages. Geoffrey Lukwiya, 26 said: "If the Government does not drill boreholes in this area, we shall go back to the camps where we had access to clean water."
He said they collect water from an unprotected well in Lamin-Obura village and it serves over 320 people.
The residents were also concerned about the unexploded ordinances that were abandoned by the LRA rebels.
Richard Lakwor, a resident, urged the Government to beef up security in the area, saying they live in fear because of the bad dreams they have about the atrocities committed by the LRA rebels.
Florence Akwero, a mother of five and has three dependants, asked the Government to continue supplying them with farm implements and food till they harvest the crops in their gardens.
The LC1 vice-chairman, Michael Olum, said lack of access roads to the villages, water, schools and health centres were some of the things that had made IDPs reluctant to return to their homes.
Achoka-Ongom urged the people to remain calm and promised that the Government would provide the essential facilities in their villages.
He said community roads would be opened up with the support of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Achoka-Ongom added that the Government had played a commendable role in clearing the areas known to have explosives and in taking the lead in educating the people on landmines.
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