UGANDA DEMARCHE REPSONSE: EXPANDING THE CHORUS ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L KAMPALA 001076 SIPDIS DEPT FOR ISN/RA MONGIELLO, BEDKE, AND HEIDLBERG E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2019 TAGS: KNNP MNUC PARM PREL AORC UG SUBJECT: UGANDA DEMARCHE REPSONSE: EXPANDING THE CHORUS ON IRAN REF: A. STATE 95073 ¶B. STATE 86082 Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Aaron Sampson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: The Government of Uganda (GOU) is concerned about Iran's nuclear intentions and its support for Palestinian groups with links to al Qaeda. It intends to continue raising these concerns with the Iranian government. End summary. ¶2. (C) U.S.Mission Poloffs delivered ref A demarche to Ministry of Foreign Affairs Permanent Secretary Ambassador James Mugume on September 17. We drew specific attention to Uganda's position on the UNSC, its role within the Non-Aligned Movement, its bilateral relationship with Iran, and President Mueveni's personal interest in nuclear nonproliferation. ¶3. (C) Mugume reiterated Uganda's support for peaceful uses of nuclear energy, but said Iran needed to comply with its obligations to the international community and the IAEA. Noting that President Museveni intends to speak at the September 24 UNSC summit to discuss nuclear nonproliferation and disarmament (ref. B),Mugume expressed concern that nuclear material produced by Iran could find its way into the hands of terrorist or non-state actors like al Qaeda-aligned al-Shabab in Somalia. The GOU also believes Iranian support to Palestinian groups is filtering down to al-Shabab. (NOTE: The meeting with Mugume occurred before news reached Kampala of the September 17 al-Shabab suicide attacks on AMISOM headquarters in Mogadishu that killed several members of the Ugandan military. END NOTE). Given these concerns, Mugume said the GOU regularly discusses questions of nuclear proliferation with Iran, and will continue to do so. Mugume said Uganda had also discussed its proliferation concerns with visiting Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Liberman on September 10. LANIER