UGANDA: MUSEVENI AND KABILA DEFUSE BORDER TENSION

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KAMPALA 000674

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 06/18/17
TAGS: MOPS ASEC PINS PGOV PTER PREL CG UG
SUBJECT: UGANDA: MUSEVENI AND KABILA DEFUSE BORDER TENSION

Classified By: P/E Chief K FitzGibbon for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Summary: On May 11, Ugandan President Yoweri
Museveni and his Congolese counterpart Joseph Kabila met in
Tanzania to discuss border issues after Congolese military
units moved a border demarcation four kilometers into an
agreed-upon no-man's zone on the Ugandan border. The growing
border tensions had reportedly generated fear in local
communities and disrupted cross-border trade in the West Nile
region. Both presidents agreed to respect current boundaries
until the ongoing demarcation process was complete. They
also agreed to continue security and economic cooperation and
called on Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony to
sign a peace agreement and abide by commitments made during
the Juba Peace Process. Musveni reportedly decided a
measured approach to the incident, including a quick
diplomatic resolution through a face-to-face meeting, would
prevent an escalation of tensions, help to further Uganda's
economic interests in closer regional cooperation, and
facilitate dialogue with Kabila on taking action against the
negative forces, particularly the LRA. End Summary.

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Reports of DRC Troops to Border Sparks Concern
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2. (C) Ugandan President Yoweri Museveni and his Congolese
counterpart President Joseph Kabila met in Tanzania on May 11
to discuss the ongoing border demarcation process in the
Vurra, West Nile region. The meeting, facilitated by
Tanzanian President Jakaya Kikwete, was sparked by reports
that the Congolese army deployed units to an isolated stretch
of land in the disputed zone on May 2. Lt. Gen. David
Tinyefuza, Museveni's security czar, reported to Museveni
that Congolese units allegedly erected a border crossing four
kilometers on the Ugandan side of the border. However, a
team of security officials led by Deputy Director of the
External Security Service Emmy Allio, who is from West Nile,
determined that the Congolese had not moved the demarcation
posts into Uganda, only into the agreed-upon no-man's zone.
In his report to President Museveni and the Minister of
Security Amama Mbabazi, Allio argued that the GOU should not
"make a big deal" out of the incident. He found that the
powerful Governor of Ituri ordered the move, with backing
from some elements in Kinshasa, but that Kabila was likely
unaware. Allio's report advocated a measured response, such
as ensuring only unarmed Ugandan policemen manned the border
post to prevent any kind of shooting incidents. Allio
overcame Tinyefuza's attempts to escalate the incident in the
press. According to Allio, Museveni chose a measured
approach which would not jeopardize Uganda's larger economic
interests in cooperation or Uganda's attempts to persuade
Kabila to take action against the LRA.

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Joint Statement: Presidents Discuss Demarcation Process
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3. (U) According to a joint statement released by the
Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Museveni and Kabila "noted with
satisfaction" that progress had been made in the border
demarcation process. They pointed to the Fifth Session of
the Joint Permanent Commission in Kampala December 12-15,
2007, the Joint Border Remarking Committee in Bunia and
Entebbe, and other bilateral engagement on the issue as
evidence that efforts to find a diplomatic solution to the
border question were ongoing. Both leaders agreed to abide
by the current boundaries until the process was complete. In
the event of any related disputes, local residents will be
instructed to consult their capital before any action is
taken.


4. (U) Museveni and Kabila agreed to accelerate the
co-administration of the Rukawanzi Island as the demarcation
process takes place. Situated on Lake Albert, Rukawanzi
Island was at the center of the August 2007 border flare-up
that led to the Ngurdoto-Tanzania Agreement. (Note:
Congolese soldiers killed a British Heritage Oil worker in
August 2007 claiming that the oil barge had strayed into
Congolese waters (ref A). End note.) The prospect of oil
exploration on Lake Albert, which is dissected by the
Ugandan-Congolese border, has further complicated the
demarcation process.


5. (U) The most recent border tensions comes in the wake of
Kinshasa's decision to revoke an oil exploration concession
to a neighboring block in eastern Congo's oil-rich region
that it had granted to Tullow Oil and Heritage, two of four
oil companies operating in western Uganda. The Congolese
government awarded the tender to South Africa's state oil
company PetroSA, claiming that Tullow and Heritage violated
Congolese territorial waters on Lake Albert (refs A and B).

KAMPALA 00000674 002 OF 002


Tullow Oil representatives told post in March that they would
most likely lose the concession to corruption. Kinshasa's
decision could undermine the planned joint oil exploration
and exploitation in the Lake Albert Basin.

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Joint Statement: Security Cooperation
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6. (C) Museveni and Kabila discussed the "negative forces"
responsible for regional insecurity and renewed their
commitment to combat these threats. Both leaders urged LRA
leader Joseph Kony to sign the Final Peace Agreement and
adhere to the Juba Peace Process. Kabila insisted that the
communique stop short of threatening action against Kony,
according to his advisers. On the economic front, the
presidents noted that progress had been made in various
sectors, renewed their commitment to reinforce cooperation,
and agreed to seek EU and other development partner support
for electrification projects between Western Uganda and
North-eastern DRC. The Presidents discussed the status of
elevating their diplomatic representation to Ambassadorial
level. Kabila told Museveni that his security services were
vetting the proposed Ugandan Ambassador, Professor Okello,
and the process could be completed by June 15.

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Comment
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7. (C) The GOU's measured response, preferring a quick
diplomatic resolution, fits with Museveni's strategy of
encouraging closer economic cooperation as the primary means
of strengthening the bilateral relationship. Museveni
believes that it is important not to let small issues or the
activities of Congolese officials other than Kabila stop
progress on the economic front. The GOU also is proceeding
cautiously because it needs Kabila's cooperation on LRA
issues.
BROWNING