Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
06KHARTOUM1643
2006-07-12 11:34:00
UNCLASSIFIED
Embassy Khartoum
Cable title:  

UGANDA-LRA MEDIATION INITIATIVE INCHES FORWARD

Tags:  PGOV PHUM PREL PTER UG SU 
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VZCZCXRO6458
PP RUEHROV
DE RUEHKH #1643 1931134
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 121134Z JUL 06
FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3666
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001643 

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PTER UG SU
SUBJECT: UGANDA-LRA MEDIATION INITIATIVE INCHES FORWARD

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001643

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PGOV PHUM PREL PTER UG SU
SUBJECT: UGANDA-LRA MEDIATION INITIATIVE INCHES FORWARD


1. (SBU) Summary: Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS) Vice
President Riek Machar will return from Maridi on July 12, where he
traveled to meet with Lord's Resistance Army leaders. Ugandan
Consulate officials say that the Ugandan delegation is prepared to
travel as soon as Machar returns and confirms mutually acceptable
dates; we do not expect this to occur before next week. The Swiss
Government is providing funding in support of the mediation
initiative. End summary.

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Coaxing Kony
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2. (SBU) GoSS Ministry of Regional Affairs officials informed CG
Juba that VP Machar had traveled to Maridi on July 10 to meet with
"senior LRA officials" in an attempt to coax Joseph Kony into
sending Vincent Otti to Juba to join the LRA delegation that has
been here for nearly a month. The GoSS believes that the current
composition of the delegation is too expatriate and too civilian to
be able to take binding decisions for the LRA. Machar is scheduled
to return to Juba on July 12. It is not clear if he succeeded in
convincing Kony to upgrade his representation here.

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Ugandan Delegation Ready to Travel
--------------


3. (SBU) Official at the Ugandan Consulate told CG that Uganda has
named its full delegation, which is prepared to travel to Juba.
There is no departure schedule at this time: the Ugandans are
waiting to consult with Machar upon his return to discuss dates
before sending the GOU team. The consular officials did not believe
that this would happen before the end of the current week. They
could not confirm GoSS claims that there would be a public opening
ceremony, and said that the agenda and ground rules for the talks
had not been set. These would be subject to discussion following
the arrival of the Ugandan delegation.

--------------
Switzerland Provides Support
--------------


4. (SBU) A Swiss diplomat based in Khartoum called on CG July 11 to
discuss the GOU-LRA mediation. The diplomat said that Machar had
sent a letter to the Swiss Foreign Ministry requesting expertise and
financial and logistical support of the mediation initiative. In
response, the Swiss Government had agreed to provide the requested
support. The diplomat had come with a Letter of Intent to be signed
with the GoSS Ministry of Regional Affairs. The letter offers in
broad-brush strokes support of the GoSS initiative as well as an
offer to help the GoSS maintain the dialogue with the International
Criminal Court. The only specific requested of the GoSS is adequate
office space and consideration of provision of adequate housing and
transport to the Swiss experts on the ground supporting the talks.


HUME