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. -------------- - Reports of DRC Troops to Border Sparks Concern -------------- - ¶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. -------------- -------------- Joint Statement: Presidents Discuss Demarcation Process -------------- -------------- ¶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. -------------- Joint Statement: Security Cooperation -------------- ¶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. -------------- Comment -------------- ¶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