NORTHERN UGANDA: GOU PULLS OUT OF JUBA PEACE PROCESS

UNCLAS KAMPALA 001558 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREF PREL MOPS CG UG SU SUBJECT: NORTHERN UGANDA: GOU PULLS OUT OF JUBA PEACE PROCESS REF: KAMPALA 1552 ¶1. (SBU) Summary: The Juba Peace Process has ended after Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony refused to sign the Final Peace Agreement (FPA) on November 30. On December 1, Government of Southern Sudan (GOSS) Mediator Riek Machar, UN Special Envoy for LRA-Affected Areas Joachim Chissano, and the delegations from the LRA and the Government of Uganda (GOU) took stock of the peace process. Uganda's delegation leader, Minister of Internal Affairs Ruhukana Rugunda, said that it was clear that Kony was not interested in peace and that the GOU would no longer participate in the current peace process. Rugunda kept the door open for LRA delegation leader David Matsanga to come to Kampala for discussions at any time. Chissano may brief the UN Security Council (UNSC) on/about December 16. He will not recommend that his mandate, which expires on December 31, be extended. End Summary. ¶2. (SBU) GOSS Mediator Riek Machar called a meeting with UN Special Envoy Chissano, the GOU delegation, and LRA delegation leader, Dr. David Matsanga, on December 1. Machar acknowledged that Kony's lack of interest in the peace agreement made it difficult to continue the process, but offered suggestions for keeping the channels of communication open, including the possibility of another meeting on December 28, a unilateral Ugandan Government signature on the FPA, and partial implementation of the agreement (reftel). ¶3. (SBU) Rugunda told Machar that the GOU was not interested in continuing the current process given Kony's failure to sign the peace deal, according to Warner Ten Kate, the head of Chissano's Kampala Office. Rugunda added that the GOU would keep the door open for discussions with the LRA and offered to host Matsanga at any time. Machar stated that he would report the outcome of the latest attempt to meet Kony and the GOU's desire not to pursue more meetings to GOSS President Salva Kiir. Machar speculated that Kiir would then put an end to his role as mediator of the process. ¶4. (SBU) Ten Kate reported to P/E Chief on December 2 that Chissano was not surprised that the GOU had decided to end the current process. Chissano reportedly believes that without military pressure on Kony, he would not sign the peace deal, according to Ten Kate. Chissano flew back to Uganda with Rugunda and planned to meet President Museveni on December 2. Chissano hopes to brief the UNSC on December 16 and deliver his final report. Ten Kate stated that Chissano will not seek a renewal of his mandate, which expires on December 31. ¶5. (SBU) Comment: In Uganda, the initial public reaction has been decidedly against Kony for failing to sign the peace deal, with many northerners calling for Uganda's "Plan B", a military option against the LRA. The Government, which appears to be conducting policy on a day-by-day basis, has not thoroughly thought through the implications of the end of the Juba phase of the process, with the exception of proposing consultations with other regional leaders. BROWNING