UN CONDUCTS DIRECT TALKS WITH KONY ON LRA PEACE

C O N F I D E N T I A L KHARTOUM 001028

SIPDIS

DEPARTMENT FOR AS A/S FRAZER, AF S/E WILLIAMSON, AND AF/SPG
ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU

E.O. 12958: DECL: 07/09/2018
TAGS: PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU
SUBJECT: UN CONDUCTS DIRECT TALKS WITH KONY ON LRA PEACE
DEAL

Classified By: CDA Alberto M. Fernandez, Reason: Section 1.4 (b) and (
d)

1.(SBU) Summary: In a July 9 meeting with Consul General
Juba, UNMIS Regional Coordinator for Southern Sudan David
Gressley reported that the UN has been in direct
communication with LRA leader Joseph Kony over the last 10
days in an attempt to restart the stalled Juba Peace Accord.
UN Special Envoy Joaquim Chisanno and his assistant Warner
ten Kate have spoken directly with Kony as recently as two
days ago, and a meeting is planned for next week in
Rikwangba, where it is hoped that Kony will finally show up
to discuss clarifications he has requested to the agreement.
End Summary


2. (SBU) After months of refusing to talk directly with any
parties to the Juba peace talks, David Gressley reported to
ConGen Juba that UN SE Chisanno had finally been able to
reach Kony directly in the last ten days to discuss signing
the Juba Peace Accord. According to Gressley, Kony has said
that he is willing to review the agreement and meet with
Chisanno to seek clarifications on some of its provisions.
Kony has told the UN that David Mastsanga is once again his
representative to Chisanno. A possible meeting is now being
planned for sometime during the week of July 14 in Rikwangba,
when it is hoped that Kony will meet a small group of
representatives (to include Chisanno, ten Kate, Machar, and a
representative of the Government of Uganda) in order to offer
clarifications to Kony on issues of concern to him in the
agreement. It is possible although not anticipated, Gressley
said, that Kony will sign the agreement at that time if he is
satisfied with the explanations given to him regarding his
issues of concern.


3. (SBU) Gressley indicated that the SPLA will deploy to
Rikwangba in advance of the meeting to provide security, and
that only a small delegation will attend the talks. It is
Chisanno,s belief that the previous efforts to meet with
Kony failed at least in part because of the large and
&jamboree8 nature of the previous gatherings. &Kony is
paranoid of everything, including television cameras, which
he thinks could conceal a gun. A small, quiet delegation is
much more likely to give him the reassurance he needs that
this is not a trap.8


4. (SBU) According to Gressley, there has been no contact
between Kony and GOSS LRA Chief Negotiator Riak Machar,
although Kony is said to have tried to reach Machar on a
couple of occasions.


5. (SBU) Asked if he thought Kony would actually carry out
the agreement if he signed it, Gressley admitted that Kony
might not. The ICC indictments tie the GOU,s hands in that
it must hold Kony accountable at a level that satisfies the
ICC that justice has been served on him. To this, Kony may
well never agree. But a signed agreement gives both the LRA
and the Government of Uganda time to build confidence in the
implementation of the peace accord, and at the very least
stabilizes the situation for a time while both sides see what
can be worked out. &We,ll have to take this one step at a
time,8 said Gressley. &And the first step is to keep the
LRA from destabilizing the entire region again, which is sure
to happen if Kony goes back on the offensive.8


6. (C) Commet: hat ony has finally started talking
directly to Chisanno and the UN is a significant step
forward. Given that Matsanga has admitted to never having
met the man, at least Chisanno is not talking with a shadow
anymore, and knows directly from the source what Kony wants
and what he will settle for. The chances for bringing him
along have improved, but we have to agree with Gressley that
while this could result in a signed peace agreement, we are
still a long way away from an end to the LRA conflict.
FERNANDEZ