NORTHERN UGANDA: LOCAL VIEWS ON PEACE,

UNCLAS KAMPALA 001488

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE
SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/E, DRL, INR, PRM, SPG

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV EAID UG SU
SUBJECT: NORTHERN UGANDA: LOCAL VIEWS ON PEACE,
RECONCILIATION, AND JUSTICE

REF: KAMPALA 1475


1. (SBU) Summary: Government officials, international
organizations, human rights groups, and local residents in
Gulu expressed cautious optimism about the prospects for
resolution to the war in Northern Uganda. Most reservations
are associated with the mental stability of Lord's Resistance
Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony. Despite these misgivings, the
improved security situation is enabling internally-displaced
persons to work their farms by day and discussions about
reconciliation are beginning. Most Gulu interlocutors argue
that peace and reconciliation must come before dealing with
justice issues for LRA criminals and want Acholi customs to
be respected when determining Kony's fate. Other challenges
that lie ahead are the management of potential conflict over
land as people return to their farms, compensation for all
war-affected northern Ugandans for their losses, coordination
of donor activity, and issues of maintenance of security as
the Uganda military is spread thin and incoming police forces
are ill-equipped. End Summary.


2. (SBU) Poloffs traveled with a USAID delegation to Gulu,
capital of one of three Acholi districts in northern Uganda
from July 31 to August 3 to meet with local officials,
international organizations, military officers, and local
residents. Gulu officials and religious and traditional
leaders are fully engaged in the negotiations with the LRA.

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GUARDED OPTIMISM
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3. (SBU) Gulu local government's vice-chairman Kitara McMot
said that he, like most area residents, is hopeful that a
peace deal will come out of current discussions with LRA
leader Joseph Kony. McMot noted that much of the local
optimism is based on the relatively calm security situation
over the past few months and Kony's retreat to DROC. McMot
confirmed that the numbers of internally-displaced persons
returning to farm their land by day in increasing as outlined
in reftel. However, he described a clear division of opinion
on the peace process between those Acholi who had been
abducted (less optimistic) and those who had not (more
optimistic). Ex-LRA combatants, who live and move around
freely in Gulu, told McMot that Kony will be hard to pin
down. They say that Kony uses unclear language when giving
orders so he can deny that he directed atrocities and he will
likely do the same with various envoys. There also is the
fear among them that Kony might be persuaded to come back to
Uganda only to be killed at a later date to prevent him from
falling into the hands of the International Criminal Court
(ICC) and testifying against the Government of Uganda.


4. (SBU) Echoing McMot, James Oyem, Gulu's Deputy RDC
responsible for security, expressed hope that peace may be
near, but said his expectations are tempered by Kony's
personal instability. Oyem described Kony "as very tricky"
and as a person who will "cry when being squeezed and then
regroup when the pressure is lifted". Oyem's boss Walter
Ochara is part of the delegation of traditional and local
leaders that have met with Kony in Garamba. Kony reportedly
has doubts about whether or not he will be sent to the ICC
and questions the capacity of area residents to truly forgive
him. Oyem also stated that the LRA negotiators at Juba are
not talking in Kony's interest and are using terms that Kony
does not understand, which could become problematic in
finalizing a possible deal. For its part, Oyem said that the
Ugandan Government is trying to dispel Kony's doubts through
the visits of local, traditional, and religious leaders to
Kony at Garamba National Park.


5. (SBU) UNHCR and WFP officials confirmed to poloffs that
the improving security situation is also encouraging IDPs and
others to begin returning to their land. Over the past few
months, there have been no major security incidents. UNHCR
estimates a 50 percent reduction in hostilities during this
period. The small groups of LRA that are operating mainly
raid fields at night for food. These groups at times have
abducted some locals to carry the food back to their hiding
places, but immediately release them. Overall abductions,
however, are down substantially. WFP and local officials say
that voluntary movement of IDPs to "land access camps" or
"decongestion sites" is growing. There are 18 camps which
host between 800 and 4,000 people. Residents are confident
enough to return to their land by day to areas where there is
a UPDF presence, but sleep in the intermediary camps at night
for protection.


6. (SBU) WFP Gulu Director Pedro Amolat explained that
local residents are still mistrustful of LRA's future plans,
having lived through periods of relative calm before a
resurgence in LRA attacks. UNHCR and WFP say that the LRA
also may be leaving small units behind in case the talks
fail. The local residents may also sense this and prefer
taking advantage of the land access camps and UPDF protection
while they assess the prospects for a lasting solution.
Poloffs visited a night commuter shelter in Gulu where only
300 children--down from 3,000--are currently using the
facility. Catholic Relief Services, UNICEF, and Save the
Children report that the numbers of night commuters in Kitgum
is also decreasing and that closure and consolidation of
facilities are underway. Reception centers for children
abducted by the LRA also are reporting decreases in children.


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PEACE AND RECONCILIATION
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7. (SBU) Religious officials involved in the Juba talks
were upbeat about the prospects for both peace and
reconciliation, but are concerned that the international
community's push for justice "Western-style" will undermine
local reconciliation efforts. Just returned from Juba,
Monsignor Obong of the Acholi Religious Leaders Peace
Initiative believes that despite his crimes, Kony can be
accepted back into society if he accepts responsibility for
his crimes. Obong described the traditional process of
exposing the truth (crimes); acknowledgment of
responsibility; judgment and compensation; and then granting
of mercy by victims to establish lasting peace. Acholi
society has no death penalty and local residents, government
authorities, and traditional and religious officials believe
that the Kony's victims have no other choice but to forgive
him through traditional rituals.


8. (SBU) Poloffs heard repeatedly that peace is the highest
priority for northern Ugandans. Peace is needed before
reconciliation can be carried out. Justice issues, according
to Obong, need to be sorted out, but should come as part of
the Acholi society's own recovery process. Local leaders
fear the ICC indictments will dissuade Kony from accepting
peace. In Obong's opinion, the international community can
best serve Acholiland through reconstruction and development
efforts, which will help victims regain their livelihood more
so than ICC indictments. They are concerned that the
Government of Uganda's general amnesty to the LRA also
undermines the traditional reconciliation process because the
perpetrators never have to admit to or accept responsibility
for their crimes.


9. (SBU) James Otto, Executive Director, Human Rights
Focus, expressed concern that national and international
actors will short-circuit local efforts to secure peace,
reconciliation, and justice. His opinion, similar to the
religious leaders, was that international efforts to pursue
peace and justice simultaneously have been unsuccessful and
that it is time for northern Ugandans to secure peace first
and then deal with the justice issues over the next year. He
acknowledged that the reconciliation process would not be as
easy as some expect. He suggested that a variation of a
truth and reconciliation commission may be an example that
could serve local, national, and international needs for
justice. Local government officials are considering
establishing a War Information Center for northern Ugandans
that would allow them to tell their stories for the historic
record. Another possibility is the naming of infrastructure
projects such as wells, schools, roads, and clinics after
victims.

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COMING CHALLENGES
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10. (SBU) In addition to reconciliation and justice, Gulu
residents are concerned about the potential conflict over
land as IDPs return to their homes, victim compensation,
maintaining security, and coordination among donors and the
Government on reconstruction activities after a peace deal is
reached. There are concerns that some returning IDPs will
find others on their land. There also is concern that all
northern Ugandans affected by the war, not just ex-LRA
abductees and ex-LRA combatants, receive adequate
compensation for possessions and property lost during the
war. There is some resentment among local populations that
donors are "rewarding" ex-LRA with incentive packages to the

detriment of others affected. The Ugandan military is
becoming spread thin as it tries to provide security for
those returning to their lands. As "decongestion" continues,
it means more places for the UPDF to patrol. The President
promised 33 police officers per district in the north, but
there is no funding for their upkeep. Finally, local
residents welcome increased donor activity, but fear that
lack of coordination may result in inefficient expenditures
and misguided priorities.

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COMMENT
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11. (SBU) Northern Ugandans desperately want an end to the
war. The relatively calm security situation is enabling some
aspects of pre-war life to re-emerge, enough so to make
residents consider their future. As local authorities and
religious and traditional leaders grapple with "post-war"
scenarios for reconstruction and reconciliation, they remain
concerned that other international and national actors
consider their views on consolidating a durable peace when a
deal is reached.


BROWNING