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.

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More Road Ambushes
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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.

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UPDF in Action against the LRA
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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.

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LRA ) UPDF Peace Talks Resume
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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