NORTHERN UGANDA: GOU PRESENTS CEASE-FIRE PROPOSAL,

UNCLAS KAMPALA 001540 SIPDIS SENSITIVE SIPDIS DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/E, DRL, INR, PRM E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL PGOV UG SU SUBJECT: NORTHERN UGANDA: GOU PRESENTS CEASE-FIRE PROPOSAL, ICC INDICTEE KILLED ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Government of Uganda formally presented its position paper on disarmament, amnesty, repatriation, demobilization, and re-integration of the Lord's Resistance Army on August 11 at the peace talks in Juba. Key provisions include the assembly of LRA forces within 14 days of signing the agreement, establishment of a Cease-fire Monitoring Team to include a member of the Core Group, amnesty for all members of the LRA, and the integration into the military or reintegration into society of LRA combatants. The GOU accused the LRA of violating its own self-declared cease-fire, including several incidents over the past week. Raska Lukwiya, one of the five LRA leaders indicted by the International Criminal Court, was reportedly killed on August 12. The GOU has finally been able to make public its conditions for a cease-fire, which include amnesty, but Lukwiya's death could have a chilling effect on the GOU's overtures to the LRA leadership. The LRA and GOU negotiating teams are scheduled to resume peace talks August 14. End Summary. - - - - - - - - - - - AMNESTY ON THE TABLE - - - - - - - - - - - ¶2. (SBU) According to the GOU proposal, "all the members of the LRA shall be granted amnesty in accordance with the Amnesty Act. It is, however, recognized that the LRA has problems with the community in Uganda and outside. It is also recognized that impunity can never be condoned. It will therefore be necessary for all LRA fighters to go through a reconciliation process before they can live peacefully in their communities. The LRA will therefore be required to accept the wrongs that they have done, ask for forgiveness and pay reparation. In this case, the Acholi traditional method of Mato Oput, as an alternative form of justice is suited to this process. All LRA fighters will therefore be required to go through the process of Mato Oput and thus, will have gone through and exhausted the traditional system of justice and hence addressing the question of impunity. It is also a fact that the ICC issued international warrants for the arrest of five leaders of the LRA. On successful completion of the Peace Talks, under the Rome Statute, the GOU and the ICC will review the warrants of arrest." - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ASSEMBLY, DEMOBILIZATION, AND DISARMAMENT - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶3. (SBU) The GOU paper calls for the LRA to assemble within 14 days of the signing of the agreement. The LRA then must provide information on the strength and disposition of its forces and give inventories of equipment, arms, and ammunition, location of landmines to a Cease-fire Monitoring Group (CMT). The CMT will be composed of the following representatives: two from the Ugandan Peoples' Defense Forces, two LRA, two SPLA, one member from the African Union, one member from the United Nations, and one member of the Core Group. The CMT will report to the mediator. Cease-fire violations shall include: hostile propaganda, attacks on the forces of the other party, obstruction of the CMT, ambushes, laying landmines, restriction of movement of humanitarian goods and workers, and any attacks on civilians to include assault, harassment, rape, maiming, abduction, looting, and recruitment. For its part, the GOU will not deploy troops near the LRA's assembly points. ¶4. (SBU) LRA fighters will be integrated into the UPDF if they meet military qualifications. Those that wish to go to school will be assisted to do so. Others will receive resettlement assistance. The GOU will request help from the international community to support re-integration. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - RASKA LUKWIYA, ICC INDICTEE KILLED - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶5. (SBU) Reports surfaced in Kampala that one of the five ICC LRA indictees, Raska Lukwiya, was reportedly killed on August 12. Two local government and military sources confirmed the report of his death to poloff. According to the UPDF sopkesman, Lukwiya and a group of nine LRA rebels killed a civilian and a UPDF soldier in an ambush on August ¶10. The UPDF deployed a unit of soldiers to pursue the band of rebels and killed Lukwiya in a firefight August 12. The other nine rebels escaped, but two more were killed in another firefight August 13. The UPDF remains in pursuit of the remaining seven rebels. Lukwiya was the LRA Army Commander who formerly occupied the posts of Brigade General and Deputy Army Commander. According to the ICC indictment, he was a key member of "Control Altar", the core LRA leadership responsible for devising and implementing LRA strategy, including brutalization of the population and attacks on IDPs. He was charged with committing crimes against humanity. A french journalist who spoke with LRA leadership told the GOU negotiating team August 14 that the LRA confirmed it will continue participating in peace talks despite Lukwiya's death. The LRA, however, told the journalist they intend to ask the mediator for three days of mourning and that flags be flown at half mast. ¶6. (SBU) During the past week, another ICC indictee, Domenic Ongwen had engaged the UPDF in discussions over his possible surrender, according to a press report. While he was considering his options, he reportedly was persuaded by another commander not to surrender until the GOU signed a cease-fire. He also may have received orders from Kony to break up the men under his command into smaller units and move into Congo. ¶7. (U) Meanwhile, the GOU accused the LRA of violating its own cease-fire over the past week. On August 10, a LRA unit led by "Koyello" attacked Ngukedi village, abducting seven people who had returned to farm their gardens. One of the abductees escaped and informed the UPDF, which mounted a rescue operation. The LRA killed two of the villagers and the others were rescued. The UPDF spokesman said that LRA rebels have committed at least five attacks since LRA leadership declared a unilateral ceasefire August 6. - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - SPECIAL ENVOY FOR THE GREAT LAKES - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - ¶8. (U) In another development on the peace process front, Ugandan newspapers are reporting that former Mozambican President Joaquim Chissano's appointment as Special Envoy for the Great Lakes is imminent. He reportedly visited Kampala last week to brief President Museveni on his observation of the Congo elections. His terms of reference include the implementation of a GOU-LRA peace deal. The press is speculating that Chissano's own experience with peace and reconciliation and his preference for "African solutions for African problems" make him an acceptable choice for the GOU. - - - - COMMENT - - - - ¶9. (SBU) The LRA's declaration of a unilateral cease-fire earlier in the week put the GOU a bit on the defensive. The GOU's outline of cease-fire provisions has put the ball back into the LRA's court. The Government's promise of amnesty is now formally on the table and remains the critical element of an ultimate peace deal. However, the circumstances surrounding Lukwiya's death cause the LRA's leadership to doubt the GOU's sincerity. Another loose end to be addressed is the reconciliation process: our discussions with non-Acholi leaders in the north indicate that they have not endorsed the Acholi Mato Oput reconciliation process. Finally, we note that the provision of Core Group membership on the Cease-fire Monitoring Group (CMT) may prompt the GOU to seek the U.S., U.K., Norway, or the Netherlands to participate more actively in the implementation of the peace process once a deal is reached. They have not approached Core Group embassies about CMT membership. BROWNING