Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KAMPALA1601
2006-08-24 03:39:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kampala
Cable title:
NORTHERN UGANDA: VERIFYING JOSEPH KONY'S LOCATION
how-toVZCZCXRO9322 RR RUEHRN RUEHROV DE RUEHKM #1601 2360339 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 240339Z AUG 06 FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7458 INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0479 RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 0078 RUEHNY/AMEMBASSY OSLO 0065 RUEHROV/AMEMBASSY VATICAN
C O N F I D E N T I A L KAMPALA 001601
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/E, AF/SPG, DRL, INR, PRM
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2016
TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL PGOV WCI UG SU
SUBJECT: NORTHERN UGANDA: VERIFYING JOSEPH KONY'S LOCATION
Classified By: Political Chief Kathleen FitzGibbon for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).
C O N F I D E N T I A L KAMPALA 001601
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/E, AF/SPG, DRL, INR, PRM
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2016
TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL PGOV WCI UG SU
SUBJECT: NORTHERN UGANDA: VERIFYING JOSEPH KONY'S LOCATION
Classified By: Political Chief Kathleen FitzGibbon for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).
1. (C) We are following up on information that Lord's
Resistance Army (LRA) chief Joseph Kony may be in Central
African Republic or headed there. Ugandan press reports said
that Kony had asked CAR for asylum and that President
Bozize's "chief of staff" Dr. Jebbari had traveled to Kampala
to discuss the issue with President Museveni. Nonetheless,
a member of parliament said that on August 21 in Juba she
heard that Kony had left Garamba for CAR. Polchief spoke
with an External Security Officer and member of the Ugandan
Government's Peace Support Team, who said that there is
"intelligence" information that Kony is in or departed for
the tri-border area of northern CAR. He said that Kony has
been dispersing the remaining LRA forces because he fears a
strike by the Ugandan military forces into Garamba National
Park. In addition, local government officials and
parliamentarians returning from Juba say that it is likely
that only Kony's deputy Vincent Otti remains in Garamba.
(Note: Embassy Bangui says that Jebbari is not the chief of
staff but a Moroccan businessman with close ties to President
Bozize and that previous information that Kony was in CAR
turned out to be false. End Note.)
2. (C) The Ugandan press today also reported that
"Parliament heard yesterday that the UN and the US have
promised to support the suspension of the indictment of top
LRA leaders by the ICC." Two parliamentarians present in the
discussion told polchief that the source of that information
is Sudanese Vice President Salva Kiir, who visited Kampala
over the weekend. The parliamentarians said that Kiir told
them that he had secured agreement from several governments
(including the USG) for stopping the LRA prosecutions should
the peace talks succeed. The Ugandan Government, according
to Peace Support Team members, also wanted to be clear with
Kiir that it would be the Government of South Sudan that
would determine when and whether the talks fail or succeed.
In addition, President Museveni also told Kiir that the LRA's
demand that the Ugandan military be pulled out of northern
Uganda is unacceptable and outlined for Kiir his views on
what "success" and "failure" are.
3. (C) Comment: We have not had any press inquiries
regarding our position. However, it appears that Kiir, and
now many Ugandan participants in the peace talks, believe
that the U.S. Government supports stopping the ICC
indictments of the LRA if there is a successful outcome of
the Juba Peace Talks.
BROWNING
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/E, AF/SPG, DRL, INR, PRM
E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/23/2016
TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL PGOV WCI UG SU
SUBJECT: NORTHERN UGANDA: VERIFYING JOSEPH KONY'S LOCATION
Classified By: Political Chief Kathleen FitzGibbon for reasons 1.4 (b)
and (d).
1. (C) We are following up on information that Lord's
Resistance Army (LRA) chief Joseph Kony may be in Central
African Republic or headed there. Ugandan press reports said
that Kony had asked CAR for asylum and that President
Bozize's "chief of staff" Dr. Jebbari had traveled to Kampala
to discuss the issue with President Museveni. Nonetheless,
a member of parliament said that on August 21 in Juba she
heard that Kony had left Garamba for CAR. Polchief spoke
with an External Security Officer and member of the Ugandan
Government's Peace Support Team, who said that there is
"intelligence" information that Kony is in or departed for
the tri-border area of northern CAR. He said that Kony has
been dispersing the remaining LRA forces because he fears a
strike by the Ugandan military forces into Garamba National
Park. In addition, local government officials and
parliamentarians returning from Juba say that it is likely
that only Kony's deputy Vincent Otti remains in Garamba.
(Note: Embassy Bangui says that Jebbari is not the chief of
staff but a Moroccan businessman with close ties to President
Bozize and that previous information that Kony was in CAR
turned out to be false. End Note.)
2. (C) The Ugandan press today also reported that
"Parliament heard yesterday that the UN and the US have
promised to support the suspension of the indictment of top
LRA leaders by the ICC." Two parliamentarians present in the
discussion told polchief that the source of that information
is Sudanese Vice President Salva Kiir, who visited Kampala
over the weekend. The parliamentarians said that Kiir told
them that he had secured agreement from several governments
(including the USG) for stopping the LRA prosecutions should
the peace talks succeed. The Ugandan Government, according
to Peace Support Team members, also wanted to be clear with
Kiir that it would be the Government of South Sudan that
would determine when and whether the talks fail or succeed.
In addition, President Museveni also told Kiir that the LRA's
demand that the Ugandan military be pulled out of northern
Uganda is unacceptable and outlined for Kiir his views on
what "success" and "failure" are.
3. (C) Comment: We have not had any press inquiries
regarding our position. However, it appears that Kiir, and
now many Ugandan participants in the peace talks, believe
that the U.S. Government supports stopping the ICC
indictments of the LRA if there is a successful outcome of
the Juba Peace Talks.
BROWNING