LRA LEADER KONY CONTACTS CHISSANO

UNCLAS KHARTOUM 001213 DEPT FOR AF/SPG, A/S FRAZER, SE WILLIAMSON NSC FOR BPITTMAN AND CHUDSON ADDIS ABABA FOR USAU DEPT PLS PASS USAID FOR AFR/SUDAN SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: ASEC PGOV PREL KPKO SOCI AU UNSC SU SUBJECT: LRA LEADER KONY CONTACTS CHISSANO ¶1. (SBU) According to United Nations Mission In Sudan (UNMIS),a representative of Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) leader Joseph Kony has been in telephone contact with United Nations Special Envoy Joaquim Chissano and allegedly communicated that Kony will sign a peace agreement on August 15, 2008 at Rikwamgba in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Chissano was also told that LRA members were in dire need of food and medicine. UN sources do not believe, however, that the signing of the peace agreement is contingent on receiving these items. UN officials are skeptical that the peace agreement will be signed (or that the meeting will even occur,) yet are still treating this communication as a legitimate effort. ¶2. (SBU) Comment: Kony has been in communication with UNMIS and GOSS Vice President Machar by phone for the last several weeks, and this is the latest in a series of proposed meetings. While we hope that Kony will finally show, we will believe it when we see it. There are consistent reports, however, that the LRA is desperately short of food and supplies, which gives some little hope that maybe this time Kony will come out of the woods. FERNANDEZ