Acholi Leaders Woo Lakwena To Return COME BACK: Lakwena By Vision Reporter ACHOLI cultural leaders and officials from the Government visited former Holy Spirit Movement re
bel leader priestess Alice Lakwena (right) now in exile in Kenya to persuade her to return home. The leaders, led by Rwot Francis Lagony and a team from the President�s Office and the Amnesty Commission, travelled to the refugee camp in northeastern Kenya about two weeks ago. They said yesterday that they were compiling a report on Lakwena�s conditions to hand it over to the Government. The East African, a regional weekly, reported yesterday that
Lakwena demanded US$50,000 (about sh100m) as part of her conditions to return. She also asked for assurance of good accommodation, preferably in a posh Kampala suburb as well as government assurance that it will compensate people in northern Uganda who have been affected by war. The Government has made attempts over the years to persuade Lakwena to return. She, however, reportedly feared she could be tried for crimes she committed while fighting President Yoweri Museveni�s government. The media reported about three years ago that Lakwena blamed her exile then on the Kenyan authorities. She said after joining the Kenyan side following failure of her rebellion, she asked for asylum hoping to get a good reception in vain. She said the Ifo camp where she lives with over 10,000 Ethiopian, Somali and Ugandan refugees had inadequate food and was plagued by insecurity, rapists and bandits
. She also demanded to meet President Museveni before she could return to Uganda. In 1999, a government delegation persuaded her to return in vain. Ends Published on: Tuesday, 27th April, 2004Is your PC infected? Get a FREE online computer virus scan from McAfee� Security. -------------------------------------------- This service is hosted on the Infocom network http://www.infocom.co.ug
