Identifier
Created
Classification
Origin
08KAMPALA513
2008-04-12 05:44:00
CONFIDENTIAL
Embassy Kampala
Cable title:
NORTHERN UGANDA: LRA SIGNING UPDATE
how-toVZCZCXRO1261 RR RUEHRN RUEHROV DE RUEHKM #0513 1030544 ZNY CCCCC ZZH R 120544Z APR 08 FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0206 INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
C O N F I D E N T I A L KAMPALA 000513
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2018
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV UG SU CG
SUBJECT: NORTHERN UGANDA: LRA SIGNING UPDATE
REF: KAMPALA 483
Classified By: P/E Chief Kathleen FitzGibbon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
C O N F I D E N T I A L KAMPALA 000513
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2018
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV UG SU CG
SUBJECT: NORTHERN UGANDA: LRA SIGNING UPDATE
REF: KAMPALA 483
Classified By: P/E Chief Kathleen FitzGibbon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
1. (C) Summary: Post provides the following update on the
signing of the Final Peace Agreament (FPA) to augment
information from ConGen Juba. The Lord's Resistance Army's
(LRA) lead negotiator "resigned" on April 10. Two escapees
from the LRA camp reached the MONUC base at Dungu, Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) on April 7. Ugandan Government
officials are pessimistic that LRA leader Kony will sign and
implement a peace deal, and are amplifying their public
messages de-linking the peace process and northern recovery
efforts. End Summary.
2. (C) The Congolese observer to the peace talks,
Ambassador Andre Kapanga, reported that on April 10 no one
saw Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony.
Northern Ugandan elders (including religious and traditional
leaders) tried but failed to see him. They reportedly spoke
with Kony via satellite telephone. Kony reportedly asked if
he underwent traditional justice, mato oput, would he then
have to face a legal trial. As of 1000 hours on April 11,
the elders were making another attempt to see Kony. Kapanga
said that LRA lead negotiator David Matsanga "resigned" his
position on April 10. James Obita was temporarily put in
charge of the LRA delegation, which was in disarray. Sources
among the LRA fighters with Kony reported to Ugandan security
officials that Matsanga was sacked and a new team would be
named as reported in reftel.
3. (C) MONUC officials in the DRC reported to P/E Chief
that two people escaped the LRA camp together on April 1 and
made it to Dungu on April 7. One was a young male from near
Obo, Central African Republic (CAR) and the other individual
was a teacher from Doruma, DRC. The two escapees reported
that the LRA strength was now at 1,200, including the new
abductees, which they placed at over 300 people. They were
forced into military training. (Note: Post awaits the
official debriefing notes for more details. End Note.)
Henry Okello Oryem, the deputy GOU negotiator, and Kapanga
both told P/E Chief separately on April 10 that the high
numbers of abductees supports the idea that Kony's intention
is not/not to sign or adhere to a peace agreement. Oficials
of MONUC and the Ugandan Amnesty Commission were in Beni on
April 11 to debrief a 55-year old male who "surrendered" in
Kinshasa on/about April 4.
4. (C) On April 10, Gulu District Chairman Norbert Mao and
Resident District Commissioner Walter Ochora told Ambassador
Browning and AFRICOM General Ward that if Kony signed the
agreement, there would be celebration throughout northern
Uganda. Both Mao and Ochora have told Kony that the best way
out of the bush was through the peace process. They were not
optimistic that Kony would sign. Ochora said that even if
the agreement was signed, he did not believe Kony would
implement it. Ochora argued that it was critical that people
in northern Uganda be assured that they would be protected
after they returned home. The two district leaders agreed
that after two years of relative peace and security, northern
residents would not accept lawlessness and a return to
internally-displaced persons (IDP) camps. Ugandan Government
officials have amplified their message that it was safe for
IDPs to return home irregardless of whether Kony signed the
peace deal.
5. (C) Comment. Post, along with ConGen Juba, continues to
follow the situation closely. The justice issues that Kony
raised are fundamental to the resolution of the conflict. He
continues to demand that the International Criminal Court
(ICC) warrants be lifted before he signs an agreement. It is
not clear how long the Government of Uganda will continue
with the process given the unpredictability of Kony, LRA
movements to CAR, and LRA abductions to beef up the group's
capabilities. It is clear that the Government's faith in the
process has waned, despite positive public pronouncements by
its negotiators. Officials in Uganda will likely continue
with public messages de-linking northern recovery and IDP
returns from the peace process.
BROWNING
SIPDIS
SIPDIS
E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/18/2018
TAGS: PHUM PREL PGOV UG SU CG
SUBJECT: NORTHERN UGANDA: LRA SIGNING UPDATE
REF: KAMPALA 483
Classified By: P/E Chief Kathleen FitzGibbon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d
).
1. (C) Summary: Post provides the following update on the
signing of the Final Peace Agreament (FPA) to augment
information from ConGen Juba. The Lord's Resistance Army's
(LRA) lead negotiator "resigned" on April 10. Two escapees
from the LRA camp reached the MONUC base at Dungu, Democratic
Republic of Congo (DRC) on April 7. Ugandan Government
officials are pessimistic that LRA leader Kony will sign and
implement a peace deal, and are amplifying their public
messages de-linking the peace process and northern recovery
efforts. End Summary.
2. (C) The Congolese observer to the peace talks,
Ambassador Andre Kapanga, reported that on April 10 no one
saw Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony.
Northern Ugandan elders (including religious and traditional
leaders) tried but failed to see him. They reportedly spoke
with Kony via satellite telephone. Kony reportedly asked if
he underwent traditional justice, mato oput, would he then
have to face a legal trial. As of 1000 hours on April 11,
the elders were making another attempt to see Kony. Kapanga
said that LRA lead negotiator David Matsanga "resigned" his
position on April 10. James Obita was temporarily put in
charge of the LRA delegation, which was in disarray. Sources
among the LRA fighters with Kony reported to Ugandan security
officials that Matsanga was sacked and a new team would be
named as reported in reftel.
3. (C) MONUC officials in the DRC reported to P/E Chief
that two people escaped the LRA camp together on April 1 and
made it to Dungu on April 7. One was a young male from near
Obo, Central African Republic (CAR) and the other individual
was a teacher from Doruma, DRC. The two escapees reported
that the LRA strength was now at 1,200, including the new
abductees, which they placed at over 300 people. They were
forced into military training. (Note: Post awaits the
official debriefing notes for more details. End Note.)
Henry Okello Oryem, the deputy GOU negotiator, and Kapanga
both told P/E Chief separately on April 10 that the high
numbers of abductees supports the idea that Kony's intention
is not/not to sign or adhere to a peace agreement. Oficials
of MONUC and the Ugandan Amnesty Commission were in Beni on
April 11 to debrief a 55-year old male who "surrendered" in
Kinshasa on/about April 4.
4. (C) On April 10, Gulu District Chairman Norbert Mao and
Resident District Commissioner Walter Ochora told Ambassador
Browning and AFRICOM General Ward that if Kony signed the
agreement, there would be celebration throughout northern
Uganda. Both Mao and Ochora have told Kony that the best way
out of the bush was through the peace process. They were not
optimistic that Kony would sign. Ochora said that even if
the agreement was signed, he did not believe Kony would
implement it. Ochora argued that it was critical that people
in northern Uganda be assured that they would be protected
after they returned home. The two district leaders agreed
that after two years of relative peace and security, northern
residents would not accept lawlessness and a return to
internally-displaced persons (IDP) camps. Ugandan Government
officials have amplified their message that it was safe for
IDPs to return home irregardless of whether Kony signed the
peace deal.
5. (C) Comment. Post, along with ConGen Juba, continues to
follow the situation closely. The justice issues that Kony
raised are fundamental to the resolution of the conflict. He
continues to demand that the International Criminal Court
(ICC) warrants be lifted before he signs an agreement. It is
not clear how long the Government of Uganda will continue
with the process given the unpredictability of Kony, LRA
movements to CAR, and LRA abductions to beef up the group's
capabilities. It is clear that the Government's faith in the
process has waned, despite positive public pronouncements by
its negotiators. Officials in Uganda will likely continue
with public messages de-linking northern recovery and IDP
returns from the peace process.
BROWNING