UGANDA: SAVE THE CHILDREN UGANDA ALLEGES ATTACK ON

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KAMPALA 000561

SIPDIS

SENSITIVE

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PGOV KWMN MOPS SOCI UG
SUBJECT: UGANDA: SAVE THE CHILDREN UGANDA ALLEGES ATTACK ON
KARAMONJONG BY UPDF


1. (SBU) Summary: Save the Children Uganda, an auxiliary
non-governmental organization (NGO) to Save the Children USA,
released a report on an alleged Ugandan military attack in Karamoja
that killed 66 children and 20 adults. At Save the Children USA's
request, Save the Children Uganda shared the report with the
Government on March 28. The report has been widely distributed
before its public release on March 30. The military said that it
engaged in a battle with Karamojong warriors who refused to disarm
near Kotido and Abim in which 52 Karamojong warriors and 4 soldiers
were killed. The military also refutes the report's claims that it
has laid landmines in the region. Emboffs and DATT have urged the
Ugandan People's Defense Force (UPDF) to use the report
constructively and do a thorough investigation of the allegations.
End Summary.

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BACKGROUND
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2. (SBU) On March 28, Save the Children USA requested a meeting
with Embassy officers and shared a copy of the Save the Children
Uganda report which was to be made public on March 30. The report
alleges that the UPDF, unprovoked, attacked a Karamoja kraal (a
temporary settlement traditionally for Karamojong herdsman) in
Kotido District. Reportedly, village adults, children, and elders
from Apa Losiya were gathering to "greet" approaching UPDF. The
report provided eyewitness accounts from some of the 256 people
interviewed. However, the report does not include a UPDF account.



3. (SBU) The people of the Apa Losiya kraal allegedly had struck a
protection deal with the UPDF in January. The deal reportedly
soured when the villagers heard a rumor of a planned UPDF attack.
The Karamajong believed the UPDF may have been trying to disarm them
of the guns they had identified for the UPDF's disarmament program
UPDF as a sign of good faith. The Losiya elders relocated the kraal
without informing the UPDF to divert the rumored attack. When the
UPDF was approaching on February 12, the Apa Losiya group claimed
that they believed the UPDF may have wanted to discuss the original
protection agreement and were anticipating a friendly visit.


4. (SBU) According to the report, on February 12, a child herder
spotted the UPDF near Apa Losiya kraal. The community gathered and
waited for the approaching UPDF. A village elder and young boy, who
went to greet the soldiers, allegedly were shot. Eyewitnesses report
that the UPDF opened fire on the gathered people who subsequently
scattered, leaving many children and elderly behind. As the
shooting continued, armored vehicles allegedly advanced. At 2:00 in
the afternoon, a helicopter gunship is reported to have fired on Apa
Lopus kraal (the site of the protection agreement discussions
between the UPDF and the Karamojong in the area).

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SAVE THE CHILDREN USA CONCERNS
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5. (SBU) Save the Children USA requested a meeting with the Embassy
officers to share the Save the Children Uganda report. Peter
Nkhonjera, Country Director for Save the Children USA and Muluemebet
Chekol, Deputy Africa Area Director told emboffs that they had
called several diplomatic missions to express their concerns about
the report. Chekol stated that the report was extremely one-sided.
According to Chekol, Save the Children USA and Uganda are in the
process of unifying into "Save the Children in Uganda," a process
that will be completed later this year. Save the Children USA has
finished an assessment of Karamoja that will be released in April.
Nkhonjera was concerned that if the UPDF were ambushed by the report
which contained unverified information, Save the Children's ability
to work in Karamoja would be undermined.


6. (SBU) Peter Nkhonjera advised Save the Children Uganda to share
the report with the GOU and UPDF to get their response prior to
publication, which was set for March 30. Save the Children Uganda
did share the report with Aston Kajara, the Minister of State for
Karamoja on March 28. Kajara said he needed to consult the
military, which he did on March 29. Kajara and the UPDF also met
with Save the Children Uganda.


7. (SBU) Emboffs and DATT also shared the report with key
government and military officials to obtain more information, hear
the military's version of events, and to urge an investigation of
the allegations. UPDF Spokesman Felix Kulayigye told P/E Chief that
the Defense Minister Crispus Kiyonga would hold a press conference
on March 31 on the military operations against the Allied Democratic
Front rebels in western Uganda but would field questions about the
alleged Karamoja incident. Privately, we have heard that senior
UPDF officers were "outraged" by the report. Their immediate
reactions included questioning why no elected local government
leaders or parliamentarians raised the issue with the military.

KAMPALA 00000561 002 OF 002


Second, the UPDF claimed that it has not had landmines in its
inventory for over 16 years to refute allegations that it was mining
the area.


8. (SBU) Kajara was investigating the Save the Children Uganda
allegations. His first task was to clarify whether or not the Save
the Children Uganda report was referring to a well-publicized clash
on February 12 between Kotido and Abim. Kajara traveled with the
Defense Minister and parliamentarians two weeks ago to look into
complaints about that incident. The member of Parliament from
Kabong, Simon Lokodo, accompanied Kajara and Kiyonga to meet with
local leaders and victims of the attack. A number of children were
killed during heavy fighting between the UPDF and the Karamojong
warriors.


9. (SBU) Comment: We have impressed upon senior UPDF leaders, the
Chief of Military Intelligence, and the GOU officials the importance
of investigating the allegations. We will continue to seek accurate
information regarding the report, but note that Save the Children
USA's fear that it would be caught up in the controversy have
materialized. International press reports were not distinguishing
between the two organizations.
BROWNING