EIGHT UN SOLDIERS, 14 LRA KILLED IN FIRE FIGHT

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 000105

SIPDIS


E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/23/2016
TAGS: PREL MOPS KPKO CG UG SU GT UN
SUBJECT: EIGHT UN SOLDIERS, 14 LRA KILLED IN FIRE FIGHT

REF: KINSHASA 100

Classified By: PolOff CBrown, reasons 1.4 b/d.


1. (U) As reported reftel, MONUC Director of Information
Kemal Saiki confirmed that eight Guatemalan peacekeepers were
killed January 23 in an operation against the Lord's
Resistance Army (LRA) in Garamba National Park near the
Sudanese border.


2. (C) In a separate conversation January 23, MONUC Head of
Office in Bunia, Sharouh Sharif, told PolOff that Guatemalan
special forces were attacked by approximately 60 Lord's
Resistance Army (LRA) soldiers in Garamba National Park the
morning of January 23. Ituri Brigade Commander Brig. General
Anwar Ibn Noor confirmed in a subsequent conversation that
eight Guatemalans were killed and five were injured in the
fire fight. (Note: Earlier reports had indicated that 14
Guatemalans had been injured. End note.) General Noor said 14
LRA soldiers were killed in the incident.


3. (C) According to Sharif, the Guatemalans had been on an
"intelligence-gathering mission" in the Garamba Park area for
"about the past two weeks." (Note: Saiki earlier described
the Guatemalans as being "engaged in reconnaissance
activities for the past 10 days." End note.) Sharif said the
group was tasked with determining the location of any LRA
soldiers still on DRC territory. On the morning of January
23, Sharif said the Guatemalans were on patrol in Garamba
Park near the DRC-Sudanese border when they came across an
LRA camp.


4. (U) Saiki reported that the engagement between the two
sides lasted about four hours. The Guatemalan troops called
for MONUC air reinforcements in the form of attack
helicopters. A MONUC Nepalese contingent was also airlifted
by helicopter to the scene to search and cordon off the area.


5. (C) Sharif said MONUC is considering plans for a
retaliatory strike against the LRA elements responsible for
the attack. Sharif said MONUC would be requesting a
"significant" force to take out the LRA troops, but the size
of such a force has not yet been determined. General Noor,
however, said no military action was "imminent."


6. (SBU) Those wounded in the attack have been returned to
Bunia for medical treatment and are expected to be
transferred to Kisangani January 23. The bodies of those
killed will be sent to Entebbe and onward to their native
country. General Noor said all of the remaining special
forces team had also been extracted successfully from the
Garamba area.
MEECE


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