(C) SOUTH AFRICA OFFERS TO ASSIST LRA MEDIATION

C O N F I D E N T I A L PRETORIA 003965 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/21/2016 TAGS: PREL KDEM UG SF SUBJECT: (C) SOUTH AFRICA OFFERS TO ASSIST LRA MEDIATION REF: A. PRETORIA 3952 ¶B. PRETORIA 3584 ¶C. KAMPALA 3584 Classified By: Deputy Chief of Mission Donald Teitelbaum. Reasons 1.4( b) and (d) ¶1. (C) South Africa has offered to serve as a "friend of the mediator" in the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA)-Government of Uganda peace process, according to Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Horn of Africa Director Graham Maitland and East Africa Director Rasheeda Adam. Maitland and Adam seperately told PolOff September 20 and 21 that DFA Chief Director Kingsley Makhubela met with Vice President of the Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) Dr. Riek Machar in Juba the week of September 11 and offered to assist in the LRA mediation. Maitland, who accompanied Makhubela, said that Machar responded positively. Makhubela also met with LRA officials in southern Sudan. (NOTE: Makhubela was visiting Juba to review DFA's training programs for GOSS/SPLM officials (Ref A). It is not clear whether the SAG has coordinated its "friend of the mediation" offer with the Government of Uganda. END NOTE.) ¶2. (C) Makhubela told Machar that the GOSS should send a formal, written letter to the Government of South Africa requesting that it serve as a "friend" of the mediation. As of September 22, South Africa has not received the request. Maitland did not know whether the delay reflected a change of heart among GOSS officials or simply bureaucratic hangups in drafting and sending the letter. ¶3. (C) It is not clear to Maitland what role South Africa, as "friend" to the mediator, would play in the LRA peace process. Maitland speculated that perhaps South Africa could provide technical expertise in security sector reform or other areas as requested by the mediator. He noted that the Swiss Government was already assisting with the technical aspects of the negotiations. ¶4. (U) The LRA sent a letter in early August to the SAG requesting that they mediate the conflict (Ref B). Deputy FM Aziz Pahad told a press conference August 28 that South Africa would not mediate the LRA peace process, but rather fully supported GOSS Vice President Riek Machar's efforts. ¶5. (C) COMMENT: We are somewhat surprised that South Africa has offered to play a role in the LRA mediation, particularly after Deputy FM Pahad clearly stated only a few weeks ago that South Africa would not mediate. As noted in reftel, senior SAG officials are already occupied with the Burundi, DRC and Cote d'Ivoire peace processes. However, South Africa believes that its experience in negotiating the peaceful transition from apartheid to democracy makes it uniquely capable of assisting in other transitions, particularly in areas like security sector reform and reconciliation. If asked to play a peacemaking role in Africa, it is difficult for the SAG to resist. END COMMENT. Bost