Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
07KHARTOUM1995
2007-12-13 10:55:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Khartoum
Cable title:
CHIEF MEDIATOR RIEK MACHAR ON LORD'S RESISTANCE
how-toVZCZCXRO0763 PP RUEHBC RUEHDE RUEHDU RUEHKUK RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHROV RUEHTRO DE RUEHKH #1995 3471055 ZNY CCCCC ZZH P 131055Z DEC 07 FM AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 9553 INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE RUEHEE/ARAB LEAGUE COLLECTIVE RUCNFUR/DARFUR COLLECTIVE RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE RUEHGG/UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 001995
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR A/S FRAZER, S/E NATSIOS, AND AF/SPG
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO UN AU SU
SUBJECT: CHIEF MEDIATOR RIEK MACHAR ON LORD'S RESISTANCE
ARMY
Classified By: CDA Alberto Fernandez, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 001995
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR A/S FRAZER, S/E NATSIOS, AND AF/SPG
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO UN AU SU
SUBJECT: CHIEF MEDIATOR RIEK MACHAR ON LORD'S RESISTANCE
ARMY
Classified By: CDA Alberto Fernandez, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (SBU) Senior Adviser to Assistant Secretary Frazer for
Conflict Resolution Tim Shortley met briefly with GOSS Vice
President and Chief Mediator Riek Machar before the opening
of a Human Rights Day ceremony at the Juba National stadium
on December 10. Machar opened the meeting by stating that he
would travel to Rikwamba on December 15-16 with President
Chissano and the LRA delegation to meeting with Kony to
discuss next steps in the peace process and to verify whether
Otti is truly dead or alive. Machar believes that if Otti is
alive, Kony must bring him to Rikwamba. If he does not bring
Otti to Rikwangba, they will assume that he is dead.
2. (ABU) Machar would not confirm if he thinks Otti is dead,
but with a smile on his face indicated that events on October
2 likely resulted in his demise. Alive or dead, Machar said
that the peace talks must continue. Machar also said that if
Otti is dead, he will press Kony to explain that he had to
kill Otti because he stood in the way of peace. Machar
stressed that if Kony did not say this, he will lose
significant LRA support.
3. (SBU) Shortley said that the LRA delegation may try to
bring other political issues to the Juba peace talks that
have nothing to do with the insurgency and should not be
entertained (e.g., a Federal State, election reform, etc.).
Machar responded that only the agreed items listed in Agenda
#2 could be considered by the parties. Machar noted that the
real problem continues to be money and accounting for money.
He asked that the U.S. should provide additional funds to
support the peace process. Shortley stressed that the U.S.
just provided $330,000 to support President Chissano's office
and the African observers, and $1.7 mission for
demobilization. Shortley underscored that the Europeans need
to provide more for the consultations if it is needed.
4. (SBU) Machar stated that the Juba peace talks would
resume o/a January 15. This would be preceded by a five day
consultation period in Rikwangba from January 5 to 10 and
provide an additional number of days in Juba to finalize the
report. Shortley noted that bringing the process right up
against the end of the Cessation of Hostilities was risky and
that everyone agreed the process must be limited. Machar
asked for U.S. patience and explained that he never thought
peace talks would even bring us this far. He laughed saying,
"I never thought that the Government of Uganda would ever
agree to allow the LRA delegation to tour Uganda and discuss
accountability and reconciliation with the he people of
Uganda, but they did." He exclaimed, "this was a major
confidence builder that must be continued through the
consultations in Rikwangba."
5. (SBU) Machar closed the meeting by stating that the LRA
delegation has done the best that they could have done under
difficult circumstances. He also said that Kony seems
prepared for a fair trial under a mixed Uganda judicial
process that includes national and traditional systems.
Machar joked that it is necessary to "give the devil a fair
trial."
6. (C) COMMENT: Shortley purposely did not reveal the most
recent information made available by the defections for fear
that Machar would inform LRA leader Kony or others. While
Machar also did not provide new information to Shortley,
Machar noted several times that he does not have the latest
information on the current situation in Garamba and
discussions between Kony and the LRA delegation, and was in
fact ill-informed on the latest information regarding
defectors. Although the meeting with Vice President Machar
was brief, it was helpful to meet with him in advance of the
arrival of President Chissano and the LRA delegation and
their trip to Rikwangba this coming weekend. The visit
reinforced the messages highlighted by Assistant Secretary
Frazer in early September: the U.S. would like to see a
peaceful end to the conflict, but the process must not be
open-ended, and contingencies must be planned if the LRA does
not agree to a peaceful conclusion to the conflict. End
comment.
FERNANDEZ
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
DEPARTMENT FOR A/S FRAZER, S/E NATSIOS, AND AF/SPG
NSC FOR PITTMAN AND HUDSON
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU
E.O. 12958: DECL: 12/03/2017
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO UN AU SU
SUBJECT: CHIEF MEDIATOR RIEK MACHAR ON LORD'S RESISTANCE
ARMY
Classified By: CDA Alberto Fernandez, for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d)
1. (SBU) Senior Adviser to Assistant Secretary Frazer for
Conflict Resolution Tim Shortley met briefly with GOSS Vice
President and Chief Mediator Riek Machar before the opening
of a Human Rights Day ceremony at the Juba National stadium
on December 10. Machar opened the meeting by stating that he
would travel to Rikwamba on December 15-16 with President
Chissano and the LRA delegation to meeting with Kony to
discuss next steps in the peace process and to verify whether
Otti is truly dead or alive. Machar believes that if Otti is
alive, Kony must bring him to Rikwamba. If he does not bring
Otti to Rikwangba, they will assume that he is dead.
2. (ABU) Machar would not confirm if he thinks Otti is dead,
but with a smile on his face indicated that events on October
2 likely resulted in his demise. Alive or dead, Machar said
that the peace talks must continue. Machar also said that if
Otti is dead, he will press Kony to explain that he had to
kill Otti because he stood in the way of peace. Machar
stressed that if Kony did not say this, he will lose
significant LRA support.
3. (SBU) Shortley said that the LRA delegation may try to
bring other political issues to the Juba peace talks that
have nothing to do with the insurgency and should not be
entertained (e.g., a Federal State, election reform, etc.).
Machar responded that only the agreed items listed in Agenda
#2 could be considered by the parties. Machar noted that the
real problem continues to be money and accounting for money.
He asked that the U.S. should provide additional funds to
support the peace process. Shortley stressed that the U.S.
just provided $330,000 to support President Chissano's office
and the African observers, and $1.7 mission for
demobilization. Shortley underscored that the Europeans need
to provide more for the consultations if it is needed.
4. (SBU) Machar stated that the Juba peace talks would
resume o/a January 15. This would be preceded by a five day
consultation period in Rikwangba from January 5 to 10 and
provide an additional number of days in Juba to finalize the
report. Shortley noted that bringing the process right up
against the end of the Cessation of Hostilities was risky and
that everyone agreed the process must be limited. Machar
asked for U.S. patience and explained that he never thought
peace talks would even bring us this far. He laughed saying,
"I never thought that the Government of Uganda would ever
agree to allow the LRA delegation to tour Uganda and discuss
accountability and reconciliation with the he people of
Uganda, but they did." He exclaimed, "this was a major
confidence builder that must be continued through the
consultations in Rikwangba."
5. (SBU) Machar closed the meeting by stating that the LRA
delegation has done the best that they could have done under
difficult circumstances. He also said that Kony seems
prepared for a fair trial under a mixed Uganda judicial
process that includes national and traditional systems.
Machar joked that it is necessary to "give the devil a fair
trial."
6. (C) COMMENT: Shortley purposely did not reveal the most
recent information made available by the defections for fear
that Machar would inform LRA leader Kony or others. While
Machar also did not provide new information to Shortley,
Machar noted several times that he does not have the latest
information on the current situation in Garamba and
discussions between Kony and the LRA delegation, and was in
fact ill-informed on the latest information regarding
defectors. Although the meeting with Vice President Machar
was brief, it was helpful to meet with him in advance of the
arrival of President Chissano and the LRA delegation and
their trip to Rikwangba this coming weekend. The visit
reinforced the messages highlighted by Assistant Secretary
Frazer in early September: the U.S. would like to see a
peaceful end to the conflict, but the process must not be
open-ended, and contingencies must be planned if the LRA does
not agree to a peaceful conclusion to the conflict. End
comment.
FERNANDEZ