UGANDA: MFA EXPLAINS GOVERNMENT VIEW OF KAMPALA

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KAMPALA 001079 SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/18/2019 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINS ASEC UG SUBJECT: UGANDA: MFA EXPLAINS GOVERNMENT VIEW OF KAMPALA RIOTS REF: KAMPALA 01055 Classified By: Pol/Econ Chief Aaron Sampson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). ¶1. (C) Summary: During a September 16 briefing for foreign Ambassadors, the Foreign Minister and Inspector General of Police stressed that Ugandan police adhered to international norms and exercised restraint during the riots that rocked Kampala September 10-12. They noted that if police had fired live bullets into crowds, as some have alleged, many more civilians would have been killed. The GOU's response to rioters and local media, they said, was rooted in a genuine concern that ethnic incitement, if left unchecked, could trigger violence similar to that seen in the past in neighboring Rwanda and Kenya. End Summary. -------------- Ugandan Government Calculations -------------- ¶2. (SBU) Ugandan Minister of Foreign Affairs Sam Kutesa and Inspector General of Police (IGP) Maj. General Kale Kayihura discussed last week's riots with foreign Ambassadors on September 16. Armed with video clips of rioters burning vehicles, throwing projectiles, trashing stores, and erecting road blocks, Kutesa and Kayihura defended security forces' actions during the September 10-12 riots in Kampala (reftel). The riots left, according to press reports, 24 dead and more than 100 wounded. The Foreign Minister explained that the GOU had prevented the King of Baganda from traveling to the disputed region of Kayunga out of fear that his presence would trigger a violent response from the Banyala, a small ethnic sub-group of less than 10,000 that is reportedly seeking autonomy from the Bugandan Kingdom. Kutesa said the Minister of Internal Security had apprised the King of the GOU's position, along with concerns regarding the King's security in Kayunga, well before the riots. But he noted that the Bugandan Prime Minister insisted nevertheless on traveling to Kayunga on September 10 to advance the King's visit. Police subsequently stopped the Prime Minister from reaching Kayunga, triggering what Kutesa and the IGP described as erroneous reports by the Buganda-run Central Broadcasting Station (CBS) radio that the Bugadan Prime Minister had been arrested. ¶3. (SBU) IGP Kayihura apologized for the disturbances and blamed local radio stations for inciting unemployed youth to expand the riots to other parts of the city. Claiming the riots were premeditated, the IGP cited reports of a truck distributing tires for rioters to burn. The IGP assured foreign Ambassadors that Ugandan police used appropriate force in conformance with UN standards, and called for military reinforcements only when it was clear that police lacked the manpower and heavy vehicles needed to respond to the riots. He said security forces acted in self defense after being overwhelmed by unemployed youth, hooligans, and criminal classes looking for a reason to loot stores, burn vehicles, and steal money. He noted that UN protocols allow for police to use force to defend themselves and that some of the rioters had hand guns. Kayihura reported 15 civilians killed in the riots (local newspapers list 24 killed) along with extensive property damage and looting. More than 800 people were arrested and over 600 of these have already been charged. One police officer was killed and ten others wounded. ¶4. (SBU) Referring to the ethnic-based violence in Kenya and Rwanda in the past, Foreign Minister Kutesa said the GOU warned local media against preaching violence and hate well before the riots. Responding to concerns about the protection of press freedoms, Kutesa noted that Uganda had closed only four out of more than 100 FM radio stations in country, and said respect for press freedoms does not mean the GOU will allow media to advocate hatred and violence. Kutesa said the GOU is arranging talks with leaders of ethnic groups, religious groups, and local clans to resolve the impasse with cultural leaders like the Buganda King and put in place new legislation clarifying the roles of traditional monarchies. -------------- Questions from Foreign Ambassadors -------------- ¶5. (SBU) The German Ambassador asked Minister Kutesa and the IGP to explain the disproportionate ratio of civilians to soldiers killed and asked that the Ugandan government strive to respect human rights even in critical situations. The IGP KAMPALA 00001079 002 OF 002 responded that police had exercised great restraint given the circumstances, and stressed that the use of firearms by police had been discrete and not indiscriminate. The Tanzanian Ambassador commended the government for prompt action and the Sudanese Ambassador praised the Ugandans for re-imposing order. ¶6. (SBU) In response to a question from the Dutch Ambassador about bystanders outside of Kampala allegedly applauding as police beat demonstrators, Minister Kutesa noted that, contrary to popular opinion, the riots were not exclusively about ethnicity. What started as an ethnic protest, he said, rapidly deteriorated into an equal opportunity free-for-all involving hooligans, unemployed youth, criminals, gangs, and others simply looking for a reason to riot. He then asked foreign Ambassadors to join him in condemning violence. The IGP added that Bagandan-owned shops were also looted and only 30 percent of those arrested were ethnic Bagandan. ¶7. (SBU) The British High Commissioner condemned the violence and asked for further evidence of the pre-planned nature of the riots. Minister Kutesa said rioters stockpiled fuel jerry cans to burn police posts. The IGP alleged that a truck circulated in the city to deliver tires to rioters in need of something to burn. He also said some Baganda ring leaders had offered to pay rioters $15 dollars to run amok. The Kenyan High Commissioner also condemned the violence and said the GOU's response was ultimately a success, as quick action turned what could have become a massive inter-ethnic battle into short-lived and sporadic anti-government riots. -------------- Comment: A No-Win Situation -------------- ¶8. (C) The issue of excessive force is not clear at the moment. We believe the security forces exercised restraint overall, but that there were certainly some instances of excess. The key message from the briefing is that the GOU is comfortable with its response to the riots. With ethnic tensions running high, preserving public peace, law and order is clearly the GOU's first priority given the country's own history as well as those of its neighbors. From this perspective, peace and stability will continue to trump concerns about press freedoms, as the GOU (and indeed many ordinary Ugandans) draws a different line than we might in defining what constitutes inflammatory speech. LANIER