ALLEGATIONS OF LRA ENTRY INTO DRC

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001519 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/20/2015 TAGS: PREL PGOV MARR CG UG UPUO SUBJECT: ALLEGATIONS OF LRA ENTRY INTO DRC Classified By: PolCouns MSanderson, reasons 1.4 b/d. ¶1. (C) Some press reports indicated September 20 that the GOU alleges that elements of the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) have fled into the northeastern part of Orientale province in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. In response to these articles, PolCouns spoke September 20 to MONUC's military headquarters in Kisangani. General Camaert's Chief of Staff told PolCouns that Camaert had already authorized two helicopters to be diverted from delivering elections registration kits to overfly the areas of the supposed penetration. MONUC hopes to have an initial report no later than September 21, confirming or denying the alleged LRA presence. MONUC also is dispatching ground troops from its contingent based at Aru (the closest city in Orientale province to the possible penetration site). This mission will include a FARDC component. ¶2. (C) PolCouns also spoke to Congolese Minister of Defense Adolphe Onusumba (currently in Western Kasai province where he is registering to vote). Onusumba had not yet been informed of the possible presence of LRA elements but said he would be in touch with his headquarters, and confirmed that he supports FARDC participation in the proposed MONUC mission. He also told PolCouns that he believes that the LRA leader might have been trying to get in touch by phone, but he, Onusumba, did not take the calls. ¶3. (C) Comment: Given recent saber-rattling by Ugandan President Museveni, both MONUC and the Congolese are taking seriously anything which might serve as a pretext for the entry of Ugandan military forces into eastern Congo. Museveni has been threatening to send troops in search of ADF elements in Orientale province, but has been discouraged from doing so. We will follow up with both MONUC and the Congolese to find out what the air and ground missions discover. MEECE