MT. ELGON: MILITANT LEADERS ARRESTED

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 NAIROBI 000906 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 04/07/2018 TAGS: MOPS PHUM ASEC KE SUBJECT: MT. ELGON: MILITANT LEADERS ARRESTED REF: A. NAIROBI 804 ¶B. NAIROBI 706 Classified By: Ambassador Michael E. Ranneberger, reasons 1.4 (b,d). ¶1. (C) Summary: In the early morning hours of March 30, police arrested the 80-year-old traditional spiritual leader for the Soy subclan, Jason Psongoywo, in Eldoret. Psongoywo is reportedly one of the top leaders of the Sabaot Land Defense Force (SLDF),the Mt. Elgon-based militant group against whom Kenyan security forces launched an operation in early March. Psongoywo's arrest was a key achievement for the government. His arrest together with a number of others made in the past week could signal the beginning of the end for the SLDF, even though other leaders remain at large. Human rights observers report that dozens of people have been killed, hundreds have been tortured, and thousands have been detained. There are also reports of the diversion of food assistance by humanitarian volunteers. End Summary. -------------- SLDF Spiritual Leader, Arms Supplier Arrested; Ex-Army Trainer Killed -------------- ¶2. (C) Acting on a tip from the local community, police arrested Jason Manyiror Psongoywo in the early morning hours of March 30 in Eldoret. Psongoywo, who is 80 years old, is the traditional spiritual leader (or "laibon") of the Kalenjin tribe's Soy subclan. (Note: Laibons are very influential in the Kalenjin communities -- moreso even than tribal elders. End Note.) Psongoywo was reportedly responsible for "oathing" new recruits into the SLDF, a militia formed in 2006 to fight for what the Soy believe are their rightful lands around the Mt. Elgon region. Oathing ceremonies are serious and secretive. The oathing ceremony not only binds new warriors to the group, it also renders SLDF warriors impervious to police bullets, some say. A local religious leader told PolOff that the house where Psongoywo was arrested was being rented out by Mt. Elgon MP (Orange Democratic Movement) Fred Kapondi who, in spite of his public protests to the contrary, is one of the SLDF's top leaders. (Note: Kapondi was arrested in April 2007 on suspicion of fomenting the conflict, but he was later released. End Note.) ¶3. (S) Later in the day, police arrested a number of local councilors believed to have SLDF ties. The next evening, police netted two more big fish: Wycliffe Kimtai, who reportedly supplies arms to the SLDF, and Frederick Chesori, who was reportedly the sector leader of a local SLDF cell. Reports continued to come in as the week progressed about the death of more SLDF commanders: Raphael Bera and (FNU) Cherendio (who was, according to one source, the SLDF's third in command). ¶4. (C) Ex-Army officer Chemaymak Sichei -- who was reportedly providing training to SLDF fighters -- was also reportedly killed sometime in the past two weeks. (Comment: We have been told that former members of Kenya's security forces played a significant role in the post-election violence as well, particularly in the Rift Valley. End Comment.) ¶5. (SBU) However, two of the SLDF's top commanders, 24-year-old, Wycliffe Matakwei and local councillor Nathan Wasama, remain at large. (Note: Matakwei's father and Psongoywo each reportedly occupied 200 acres of land from which they were evicted when the government attempted to implement the third phase of the Chebyuk land settlement scheme (ref A). The government's policy and flawed, corruption-ridden implementation sparked violent opposition in 2006, but the conflict that began as a protest over a badly-handled land allocation scheme has turned into a terror spree under the SLDF. The clashes between the Soy and Ndorobo sub-clans has displaced between 45,000 and 70,000 people and killed over 500. The SLDF has by many accounts turned into a violent criminal gang, torturing and killing those who do not support them and imposing parallel (and arbitrary) laws and taxes. End Note.) -------------- Human Rights Observers Cry Foul -------------- NAIROBI 00000906 002 OF 003 ¶6. (U) Security forces have endeavored to keep outsiders away from the area of operation, including human rights observers. A Human Rights Watch researcher and local human rights activists were detained near Mt. Elgon by the military on March 28 while attempting to investigate events in the area. According to the HRW researcher, foot soldiers stopped them and searched them, finding lists of alleged victims of the military operation. The two were detained and transported to a military base. When they reached the base the HRW researcher was immediately released, while the local activist was held for approximately one hour. During this time, the local garrison commander received phone calls from journalists at the Nation and Standard newspapers asking for further information on the arrest. The activist was then released and all his belongings returned to him. ¶7. (C) A Human Rights Watch (HRW) researcher, who has been in the Mt. Elgon region for the past week, termed the operation a "full-blown military conflict." According to him, the military's strategy is to round up every male in every village, beat them, and then transport them to a military camp. While at the camp, the men are beaten some more and then identified as either being members of SLDF and jailed, or cleared and freed. (Note: Ref A discusses how the International Committee of the Red Cross has opened discussions with the government in response to such reports of abuse. End Note.) The District Commissioner has stated that 750 suspects have been arrested, while HRW estimates the number at over 1,000. The majority of those arrested are transferred to either Bungoma or Kakamega Prison, where they are detained in overcrowded conditions common to Kenyan jails. HRW has not yet been granted access to the prison, but it has information that some of the detainees are in critical condition from the beatings they received. ¶8. (C) In an April 3 press release, HRW accused both the SLDF and the Kenyan military in killings, torture, and rape of civilians. HRW estimated that the SLDF has killed over 600 people since the conflict began in 2006 and stated that the SLDF often beat, maimed, and abducted people in the Mt. Elgon area, and also routinely destroyed property and stole land and livestock. Since the military intervention began in March, HRW estimated that the Kenyan military has "detained thousands, tortured hundreds, and unlawfully killed dozens of people." The alleged abuses include at least one case of rape by Kenyan soldiers. An HRW researcher also told PolOff that they have documented at least one instance in which civilians, who were trying to flee to Uganda, were indiscriminately attacked by Kenyan border police. ¶9. (C) The SLDF and Kenyan security forces are not the only ones who have been accused of mistreating innocent civilians in Mt. Elgon. There are also reports that the Kenyan Red Cross (KRCS) volunteers have diverted food assistance from Mt. Elgon residents living in IDP camps. (Note: These accusations are coming at a time when human rights observers -- HRW in particular -- are telling us about KRCS staff who are reportedly trading food for sex at IDP camps elsewhere in the country (septel). End Note.) -------------- The Beginning of The End? Or the End of The Beginning? -------------- ¶10. (S) Comment: Kenyan military officials have told us privately that the military-backed operation (termed Operation "Okoa Maisha" or "Save Lives") should end on April 5, but at an April 5 press conference a police spokesman said that their operation would continue. Given the recent netting of such big fish, it appears that the operation has been fairly successful in disrupting the activities of the SLDF. Although some important figures -- such as SLDF commanders Wycliffe Matakwei and Nathan Wasama -- remain at large, the SLDF's ability to bring in and properly "oath" new recruits will be compromised as long as Psongoywo remains in custody. ¶11. (C) Comment, cont: While the Mt. Elgon operation may be near its close, much work remains to be done in rebuilding the lives of those living around Mt. Elgon. At present, the Soy community's spiritual leader is behind bars; deep rifts exist between the Soy and Ndorobo sub-clans; large numbers of NAIROBI 00000906 003 OF 003 people have suffered; and the underlying land conflict remains unresolved. Kenyan military forces have already started to transition between military operations and humanitarian activities (in the form of infrastructure rehabilitation). It will be up to civilian leaders to begin the difficult work of reconciliation. If this does not happen, conflict could easily re-ignite. We are closely following allegations of human rights abuses and making our concerns known. RANNEBERGER