UGANDA: SANT'EGIDIO WORKING ON LRA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 VATICAN 000130

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

DEPT FOR EUR/WE LARREA; DRL/IRF PKELLY; DRL/IRF MATES

E.O. 12958: DECL: 7/10/2016
TAGS: PTER PHUM SOCI UG SU VT
SUBJECT: UGANDA: SANT'EGIDIO WORKING ON LRA

REF: A) KHARTOUM 1612 ET AL; B) VATICAN 0015

VATICAN 00000130 001.2 OF 002


CLASSIFIED BY: Peter Martin, Pol/Econ Chief, Vatican, State.
REASON: 1.4 (b),(d)
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Summary

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1. (C) Mario Giro of the Community of Sant'Egidio told the
Ambassador that he had met recently with Joseph Kony, head of
the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA),to discuss possible talks
between the LRA and the government of Uganda. The meeting
itself was inconclusive, but Giro said there was still a
possibility for LRA-Uganda talks to proceed. Sant'Egidio
prefers talks in Rome at its headquarters, but the group also
discussed talks in the region with the South Sudanese as
facilitators. Giro told the Ambassador that Kony seemed "weary"
and Giro guesses that Kony might well jump at the chance to go
off under some type of comfortable house arrest - if such a deal
were offered. Post welcomes feedback from AF as we continue to
track Sant'Egidio's efforts on this issue. End Summary.



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Meeting with Kony

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2. (C) Mario Giro, Africa Expert of the Vatican-affiliated NGO
Community of Sant'Egidio, told the Ambassador that he and
Sant'Egidio's Fabio Riccardi had recently returned from Sudan,
where they had met with Joseph Kony, head of the Lord's
Resistance Army (LRA). Sant'Egidio was asked by representatives
of the government of South Sudan to meet with Kony in the hopes
of furthering plans for negotiations between the LRA and the
government of Uganda.




3. (C) Giro recounted for the Ambassador traveling to Juba and
then being escorted by some 40 South Sudanese military personnel
to see Kony. Giro described seeing "many" child soldiers 12-15
years of age at the LRA camp, most of whom were heavily armed.
He said M-16s seemed to be in large supply.




4. (C) The meeting itself was inconclusive, but Giro said there
was still a possibility for LRA-Uganda talks to proceed.
Sant'Egidio was arguing for talks in Rome at its headquarters,
but talks in the region with the South Sudanese as facilitators
were also being discussed. Next steps at this point are unclear.



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Seemed Weary

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5. (C) Giro told the Ambassador that Kony seemed "weary" and
Giro guesses that he might well jump at the chance to take some
land and cattle and go off under some type of house arrest - if
such a deal were offered. Of course, one formidable hurdle to
any settlement with Kony is his indictment by the International
Criminal Court (ICC). Giro said there were no easy answers
there, though he wondered if some legal option might be
available if the Ugandan government agreed to withdraw its
complaint against Kony.



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Other Notes

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6. (C) Other notes from Giro's meeting with the Ambassador:


VATICAN 00000130 002.2 OF 002


- Giro praised A/S Frazer's statements on the LRA and attention
to the issue.

- Noted the folly of giving money to the LRA in the hopes of
appeasing them, something he said that the South Sudanese and a
Catholic aid organization (Pax Christi Netherlands) had done.

- Said MONUC (the UN Mission in the Congo) was ineffective,
though he noted that the difficult obstacles the mission faced
were not of its own making.



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Comment

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7. (C) We will continue to track Sant'Egidio's efforts on this
issue and note that the Holy See has also maintained a keen
interest in the LRA and Uganda, particularly on the part of
Cardinal Renato Martino, President of the Pontifical Council for
Justice and Peace (ref b). Post welcomes feedback from AF
Bureau as we work with Sant'Egidio.
SANDROLINI