SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR INCREASED COOPERATION

UNCLAS USUN NEW YORK 001059 SENSITIVE SIPDIS E.O. 12958: N/A TAGS: PGOV PREL UNSC XA CG UG SU CT CD SUBJECT: SECURITY COUNCIL CALLS FOR INCREASED COOPERATION TO ADDRESS THE LRA THREAT ¶1. (SBU) UN Department of Political Affairs U/SYG Pascoe briefed the Security Council on November 17 in closed consultations on the UN's efforts to address the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA). He said that the UN was improving its inter-mission cooperation and information sharing, and that the UN Mission in the DRC (MONUC) was offering the Ugandan defense forces logistical support. MONUC reported fewer than 100 LRA members in the DRC, where over the last year the LRA was reported to have killed 700 civilians, abducted more than 1,400, and displaced 270,000. Pascoe noted atrocities were continuing in Southern Sudan, with reports of 216 killed, 149 abducted, and 79,000 displaced, and in the Central African Republic (CAR),with 9 attacks reported since September. He said that the UN has had no contact with LRA leader Joseph Kony for more than 18 months, and that Kony's whereabouts were unknown. ¶2. (SBU) Ambassador DiCarlo expressed concern at the LRA's expansion into Sudan and CAR. She was joined by all Council members in calling for greater UN cross-mission information sharing. She also encouraged the UN to establish mechanisms to improve cooperation and coordination among its operations in the region. French Deputy PermRep de Riviere requested that the Secretary-General report on how to improve regional and inter-UN cooperation to respond to the LRA threat. ¶3. (SBU) UK Deputy PermRep Parham said that UNMIS must be willing to act to protect civilians, and urged greater cooperation between the Ugandan forces and the UN. Ugandan PermRep Rugunda said regional cooperation was good, and urged all UN actors, including the peacekeeping missions in the DRC, Sudan and Darfur, and CAR, to improve cooperation and coordination and improve the protection of civilians, and noted that at present more than 90 percent of LRA members were non-Ugandan. ¶4. (SBU) Following the meeting, the President of the Council, Austrian PermRep Mayr-Harting, read a press statement agreed to by Council members. The statement, inter alia, encouraged states in the region to cooperate fully and share information with the UN, and called on the UN missions in the region to coordinate strategies for protection of civilians in light of the attacks by the LRA. RICE