UGANDA/DRC/CAR: OPERATION RUDIA II UPDATE (AUGUST

S E C R E T SECTION 01 OF 03 KAMPALA 000922

NOFORN
SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: DECL: 08/14/19
TAGS: PGOV PREL PHUM MOPS MARR UG CG SU
SUBJECT: UGANDA/DRC/CAR: OPERATION RUDIA II UPDATE (AUGUST
14, 2009)

REF: A. A. KAMPALA 00741

B. B. KINSHASA 00736

C. C. KAMPALA 00876

Classified By: P/E Chief Aaron Sampson for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d).


1. (SBU) Background: This cable is a periodic update on the
regional military operation against the Lord's Resistance
Army (LRA) known as Operation Rudia II. This report is not
meant to provide an overarching narrative or polished
analysis of the operation, but rather offers spot information
gleaned in Uganda only, from U.S. Mission sources. We
recognize the regional scope of the operation and the fact
that our sources may be limited in their knowledge and
perspective on Rudia II. End background.


2. (C) Summary: Ugandan military forces, in partnership with
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and UN forces in the DRC
(MONUC),continue to make incremental progress in pursuing
and eliminating the Lord's Resistance Army. A senior MONUC
advisor believes the recent uptick in LRA civilian attacks is
due to this continued military pressure; the LRA, he thinks,
is on the run. One way of bolstering the military effort and
better protecting civilians, he suggests, is to push for more
resources for MONUC at the UN Security Council. Para 12
reiterates an action request first conveyed ref C. End
Summary.

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MILITARY UPDATE
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3. (S/NF) The Latest Numbers: The Uganda Peoples' Defense
Forces (UPDF) continue to make slow but steady progress in
tracking and destroying small LRA elements throughout eastern
areas of the DRC and Central African Republic (CAR).
According to reporting from the Kampala Combined Intelligence
Fusion Cell (KCIFC),the UPDF has killed 11 LRA rebels,
captured two LRA rebels, wounded two LRA rebels, rescued six
abductees, and recovered seven weapons and 143 rounds of
ammunition in various engagements with the LRA since August

1. Since the inception of Operation Rudia II in December
2008, joint operations against the LRA have succeeded in
killing or capturing 233 LRA combatants and in freeing 230
victims previously abducted by the LRA. (Note: A much larger
number of abductees have freed themselves by escaping from
the LRA and seeking the protection of other forces or NGOs;
these numbers are not counted here. End note)


4. (S/NF) The UPDF continues to engage with LRA elements in
both CAR and DRC, reporting contact with LRA rebels southeast
of Obo, CAR on 4 August; west of Niangara, DRC on 5 August;
and northeast of Obo on 5 August and 10 August. In these
attacks, the UPDF killed three LRA rebels, rescued five
abductees (including a CAR national),and recovered weapons,
ammunition, food supplies, two pairs of military uniforms,
and one solar panel. A United Nations (UN) associate reports
that the Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo
(FARDC) and UPDF have engaged with LRA elements in several
villages throughout Faradje, Dungu, and Niangara territories
in the Haut Uele District of DRC, at times intercepting the
LRA before the rebels are able to attack local populations.
Local sources report that the LRA is looting food and other
goods (including WFP food supplies) on these raids. Other UN
reports and local Sudanese media reports indicate ongoing LRA
violence in southern Sudan, including LRA attacks in several
areas of Western Equatoria that have reportedly displaced
180,000 people. LRA elements attacked Ezo, Sudan and
reportedly took a satellite phone belonging to the Ezo
Commissioner on August 12. The KCIFC assesses that LRA
leadership may use the recovered satellite phone to
re-establish communications and coordinate future operations.



5. (S/NF) The UPDF also discovered a large LRA supply cache
east of Bitima, DRC, on 2 August. Supplies included 47 bags
of rice, 17 bags of sugar, two boxes of tinned milk, and one
generator. Recent investigations indicate that this was an
old supply cache, established as Kony's "emergency stash"
during the LRA peace talks in Garamba Park (Note: It is
unclear exactly when these supplies were provided during the
peace talks. End Note.). The cache was found in close
proximity to a suspected High Value Target (HVT)group; KCIFC
assessed that this HVT group had planned to meet up with the
Eastern Command (led by Charles Arop and Okot Odek) and carry
supplies west towards LRA leader Joseph Kony's location.


6. (S/NF) The UPDF have verified that a suspected LRA camp
located approximately 17km southwest of "Ganga," which

KAMPALA 00000922 002 OF 003


translates to "home," is actually an abandoned housing
compound built for miners. The "Ganga" location was
identified on a hand drawn map found in a recovered LRA
notebook. The notebook was recovered along with a satellite
phone on or about 14 July near Faradje, DRC (Ref A); while
the phone contained two text messages, neither message
indicated that Kony had directed LRA elements to move to the
Central African Republic. While Ref B indicates that a
satellite phone was captured in the same general time and
area ) but with a text message from Kony directing such a
movement ) the lack of confirming details in Ref B suggests
duplicate reporting.

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POLITICAL ENVIRONMENT
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7. (SBU) PolOff and Defense Resource Management Initiative
(DRMI) Officer met with UN Mission to the Congo (MONUC)
Senior Advisor for the Office of the Eastern Coordinator
Philip Winter in Kampala on July 29 to discuss his meetings
with Government of Uganda (GOU) officials and his recent
visit to Dungu, DRC. Winter met with GOU Minister of State
for International Affairs Okello Oryem in Kampala, who
expressed appreciation for U.S. support to the UPDF,
especially in helping build the GOU's relationship with the
Government of DRC. Oryem hopes the U.S. remains committed to
seeing joint operations against the LRA through, and said the
GOU would welcome further U.S. support to the UPDF in this
area. Oryem said that President Museveni is also keen to see
joint operations continue and succeed, as this would bolster
Museveni's image as a peacemaker and "leave a legacy" if and
when Museveni leaves office.


8. (SBU) While in Dungu, Winter saw the UPDF operation in
action and said the UPDF looked "strong, fit, and
professional." He sees the increasing number of attacks in
DRC as the result of increasing efforts on the part of the
FARDC and UPDF to pursue LRA elements; he views these attacks
as a sign that the LRA is on the run. Winter reports that
there are only four LRA rebels left in the area south of
Faradje. He said that MONUC troops' "eyes and ears" on the
ground are extremely limited, MONUC transportation capacity
is limited, and MONUC could (and he believes, should) do more
to protect civilian populations and support joint operations
if asked by UN Security Council (UNSC) Member States to do
so. (Note: Winter specifically suggested that if the U.S.
wants greater MONUC support for anti-LRA operations, the U.S.
should push for this in the UNSC. Scaling up MONUC
operations in eastern DRC would require significant political
will in the UNSC, as well as a revised mandate and additional
resources for MONUC to implement. End note.)

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HUMANITARIAN SITUATION
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9. (SBU) A UN Associate in DRC reports that LRA attacks in
the Haut and Bas-Uele districts of DRC increased to 56
attacks during the month of July (up from 34 in June and 23
in May). Humanitarian and local civil society organizations
estimate that recent LRA attacks have resulted in 38 civilian
casualties, six civilian injuries, and a total of 135
abductions. (Note: Estimated numbers of abductees are
unconfirmed; estimates may be higher than actual numbers
given high levels of civilian displacement due to local
populations fleeing impending LRA attacks).


10. (SBU) The same source reports that local civil society
organizations in Dungu are seeing improved security and
increasing economic activity in the area. According to the
Dungu civil society president, numerous small business
activities and pastoral activities have resumed and are
expected to continue growing with the possible extension of
the FARDC's security perimeter around Dungu center.


11. (SBU) MONUC also reports that UPDF and FARDC military
pressure against the LRA led to the recent release of 23
Congolese, Central African, and Sudanese children.
UPDF-FARDC military operating in the villages of Duru and
Nambia worked to secure the release of the children from the
LRA, who were turned over to UNICEF child protection officers
in Dungu in late July. Medecin Sans Frotieres (MSF) Belgium
is taking care of 14 of the children, five of whom were girls
who had been sexually assaulted by LRA rebels.

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Comment
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KAMPALA 00000922 003 OF 003




12. (S/NF) The UPDF is making slow progress in tracking,
pursuing, and eliminating LRA elements in DRC and CAR.
Although the LRA HVT group and Eastern Command group had
planned to meet up by late July or early August, it is
unclear whether or not this meeting actually occurred. The
plan was to meet up, resupply, and move west towards Kony.
Due to reduced communications among LRA senior leadership, it
is becoming more difficult to track LRA movements and plans.
As the LRA continues to push west into CAR, the U.S. Mission
reiterates its request for the United States to provide the
Uganda Peoples Defense Forces the same level of intelligence
support for their operations in the CAR against the LRA as
the U.S. is currently providing for UPDF operations in the
DRC and southern Sudan (Ref C). End Comment.
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