LRA UPDATE: MONUC MISSION ARRIVES IN ABA, FARDC

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001567

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/26/15
TAGS: PREL MARR PGOV KPKO CG UG
SUBJECT: LRA UPDATE: MONUC MISSION ARRIVES IN ABA, FARDC
DEPLOYMENT DELAYED

REF: A. KINSHASA 1559


B. KAMPALA 2067

C. KINSHASA 1532

D. KINSHASA 1519

Classified By: PolCouns MSanderson, reasons 1.4 b/d.


1. (C) Three MONUC aircraft arrived in Aba late afternoon
September 25 with Sixth Military Regional Commander General
Padiri, several MONUC DDRRR experts and UNHCR officials.
They were met by LRA Colonel Otti and taken to the LRA camp.
Initial discussions were not promising, however. The LRA has
rejected unconditional disarmament. Otti told Padiri that he
could not make any commitments, that only Kony could. When
Padiri called Kony in Sudan, Kony said that he would have to
"talk to his Washington mediator" and get back to Padiri with
a proposal for conditional disarmament.


2. (C) MONUC Force Commander Gaye said that talks with
Ugandan military leaders in Kampala September 23 were
positive in nature, and that the Ugandan military assured him
that at this time there is no intent to undertake a military
action into DRC territory. Although Gaye was accompanied by
FARDC officers, whose presence was welcomed by the Ugandans,
the Ugandans reiterated their desire to meet with Congolese
Army Chief of Staff Kisempia as soon as possible. (Comment:
It is not clear whether Kisempia will go to Kampala today, in
advance of the proposed Museveni visit to Kinshasa. End
Comment.)


3. (C) The planned FARDC deployment September 25 from
Kinshasa of a so-called commando element did not take place
due to lack of fuel for the aircraft. Air Force Commander
John Numbi told PolCouns September 25 that he had notified
Kisempia of the problem and asked Kisempia to contact MONUC.
(Comment: MONUC was unaware of the fuel problem when
PolCouns spoke to them in the evening of September 25, but
they are prepared to assist the Congolese if asked September

26. This is the kind of logistical problem that typifies
FARDC operations and limits their effectiveness. End
Comment.) Numbi claimed that as the movement was to take
place on Sunday he could not force a private company to
provide the fuel, although he assured PolCouns that the
deployment would take place early on September 26 with
assistance from private companies. These commando troops are
destined to reinforce the First Integrated Brigade elements
already dispatched by General Padiri to Aba. (Comment:
Numbi identified the "commando" troops as those who had been
stationed at Beni and subsequently transferred to the Kamina
training base. If so, this would mean they are
non-integrated MLC troops from Vice President Bemba, a
troublesome lot that were shipped to Kamina to stop their
excessive predation on civilians in Beni. End Comment.)


4. (C) Presidential Private Secretary Kikaya bin Karubi told
PolCouns that President Kabila appreciated the points made by
A/S Frazer in their telecon September 24, and said that the
presidency is very aware of the sensitivity of the issue and
its potential destabilizing effect on the region and the
Congolese electoral process. The Congolese are not
comfortable with the proposed visit to Kinshasa by President
Museveni at this time, but have not yet rejected the idea out
of hand.


5. (C) Comment: The area in Orientale province in which the
LRA is present is very remote, north of Ituri District in
Haut-Vele district. It is therefore outside the normal
operating area of the FARDC First Integrated Brigade, or
indeed any area of traditional FARDC operations. MONUC did
deploy some fuel bladders to Aru (Ituri district -- almost
150 kms from Aba) the nearest point with some MONUC and FDRC
support structures. The fuel bladders addressed problems
posed by fuel shortages in the general area, and permitted
the MONUC/GDRC/UNHCR September 25 visit to take place. We
assume the air transport for the commandos would also need to
go to Aru as it is the only reasonably serviceable airstrip
in the area, with further deployment to Aba required from
there. The FARDC troops may make it out of Kinshasa today
but given the above difficulties probably will not reach Aba
until at least tomorrow.
MEECE