SOUTHERN SUDAN: VIOLENCE FLARES BEFORE LRA TALKS

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KHARTOUM 002916 SIPDIS SIPDIS FOR AF/FO, AF/SE, AF/SPG, AND AF/RSA E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/26/2016 TAGS: PGOV MOPS PREF PHUM SU SUBJECT: SOUTHERN SUDAN: VIOLENCE FLARES BEFORE LRA TALKS REF: KHARTOUM 02667 Classified By: P/E Chief E. Whitaker, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (d) ¶1. (C) Summary: The weeks prior to the December 15 resumption of peace talks between the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) and the Government of Uganda (GOU) saw an upsurge in violence east and south of Juba that claimed the lives of about 40 civilians in a half-dozen incidents in late November/early December. The recent violence is attributed by some to the LRA, and by others to remnants of other armed groups (OAGs) now affiliated with the Sudan Armed Forces (SAF). Peace talks between the LRA and the GOU took place in Juba from December 15 ) 21, with a resumption planned for mid-January. End summary. -------------- More Road Ambushes -------------- ¶2. (C) "It's the LRA," SPLA Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Oyai Deng told PolOff on December 13. Deng described a series of recent incidents, beginning with an attack on a mini-bus on November 28 that left 16 persons dead. Deng said responsibility could also lie with ex-members of the Equatoria Defence Forces (EDF) now allied with the SAF. Both the LRA and the EDF collaborated closely with SAF, and with each other, prior to the signing of the Comprehensive Peace Agreement (CPA) in January 2005. ¶3. (C) The November 28 attack occurred north of Torit, on the road to Lafon; word of the attack was slow to reach authorities in Juba. Torit is the capital of Eastern Equatoria State, about 115 kilometers east/southeast of Juba. In other incidents: -- On December 12, assailants ambushed a vehicle at Nisitu, about 15 kilometers east of Juba, injuring four; -- Also on December 12, attackers ambushed a second vehicle at Birinyang, closer to Juba, with two injured; -- On December 11, unknown parties ambushed a minibus near Liria, about halfway between Juba and Torit, killing a reported 15 people; and -- On or about December 7, an armed group attacked a wedding party at a village near Torit, reportedly killing seven persons. In all, according to UN security officials, approximately 40 civilians have died in the latest violence. -------------- UPDF in Action against the LRA -------------- ¶4. (C) The Uganda People's Defence Forces (UPDF) launched a significant attack against suspected LRA elements on December 13, according to SPLA Deputy Chief of Staff Maj. Gen. James Hoth Mai. UN security officials said they had received reports of UPDF engagements, including reports of casualties, but had no specific casualty figures. Earlier in December, the UPDF used a helicopter gunship in an attack on a suspected LRA group east of the Nile in Southern Sudan. -------------- LRA ) UPDF Peace Talks Resume -------------- ¶5. (C) Meanwhile, peace talks between the LRA and the GOU resumed in Juba on December 15 under the mediation of the Government of Southern Sudan (GoSS). The two sides appear to be at odds over the agenda, however. The Ugandan delegation, headed by Minister of Interior Ruhakana Rugunda, said it expected to resume "comprehensive" negotiations. Some LRA representatives, however, said they were only authorized to review compliance with the addendum to the Cessation of Hostilities Agreement signed November 1. GoSS Minister of Culture, Youth and Sport John Luk Jok told ConGen on December 12 that the GoSS is impatient with the slow pace of negotiations and expects both sides to move more quickly to resolve their differences. The talks continued through December 21, and are set to resume in mid-January following a three-week recess. ¶6. (C) Prior to the resumption of talks, LRA chief Joseph Kony met his mother at the Ri-Kwangba LRA assembly point on the border between Sudan and the Democratic Republic of Congo. It was the reportedly the first meeting between the KHARTOUM 00002916 002 OF 002 LRA head and his mother in over two decades. The meeting was facilitated by the GOU, which had blocked earlier attempts to arrange such a reunion. Ugandan politician Walter Ochora and a variety of others also met Kony and other senior LRA leadership at Ri-Kwangba on December 12. One participant said Kony was fully coherent, asked penetrating questions, and exercised clear authority over the rest of his entourage, including LRA second-in-command Vincent Otti. As in previous meetings, Kony reportedly was most interested in how to avoid trial by the International Criminal Court (ICC). At one point he described the ICC as a venue for trying "weak" people like Congolese militia leader Thomas Lubanga. In all, Kony participated in over four hours of meetings, including a 20-minute private meeting with Jongomoyi Okidi-Olal, who sometimes claims to be a member of the U.S. Army. HUME