VZCZCXRO7945
RR RUEHGI RUEHRN RUEHROV
DE RUEHKM #1720/01 3091146
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051146Z NOV 07
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 9601
INFO RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0667
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 0462
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 3393

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KAMPALA 001720 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PGOV PREF PREL MOPS UG SU
SUBJECT:  NORTHERN UGANDA:  LRA DEFECTOR AND NEGOTIATORS WELCOMED IN 
KAMPALA 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) Operations Chief 
Opio Makasi, who fled the group's camp on October 2, and the LRA's 
Juba Delegation arrived in Kampala on October 31 and November 1 
respectively to warm welcomes and heavy press coverage.  The 
Government continues to debrief Makasi about the rupture in the 
LRA's leadership.  The LRA negotiators met with President Museveni 
on November 3, signed an extension to the Cessation of Hostilities 
Agreement (CHA), and will begin their consultations in northern 
Uganda on November 6 in Gulu.  The two almost simultaneous arrivals 
present a dilemma for the Government's military and civilian camps: 
supporting the LRA delegation's consultations while at the same time 
wanting to exploit Makasi's defection to encourage others.  End 
Summary. 
 
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DEFECTOR RECEIVES HERO'S WELCOME 
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¶2.  (U) Opio Makasi, the LRA's chief of operations, fled the LRA's 
Garamba Park hideout on October 2 after Joseph Kony arrested deputy 
leader, Vincent Otti, along with some top officers and combatants. 
Uganda's Chief of Military Intelligence (CMI), Col. Leopold Kyanda, 
met the MONUC flight from the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) 
carrying Makasi with full press coverage.  On November 1, Makasi and 
his wife applied for and were granted amnesty by the Amnesty 
Commission after renouncing rebellion.  CMI continues to debrief 
Makasi and the Government's New Vision newspaper carried an 
interview with him on November 4. 
 
¶3.  (SBU) Makasi detailed for the press the rupture between Kony and 
Otti and Otti's arrest.  He said that Kony had invited Otti to a 
meeting at which he was arrested.  Makasi feigned illness and did 
not go.  He fled after being tipped off that he was to be arrested. 
Makasi said that there were only 834 people in the camp.  Six 
hundred of them were fighters, according to Makasi.  He stated that 
Kony intended on overthrowing the Ugandan Government and in Makasi's 
view, Kony would not surrender.  Makasi did not know if Otti was 
dead or alive.  Northern parliamentarian Reagan Okumu told us that 
he spoke with Otti approximately one week ago.  Otti told Okumu that 
he did not have any airtime.  A Southern Sudanese General 
accompanying the LRA delegation to Kampala said he reached a 
surprised Otti after Chissano's failed attempt to see the LRA 
leadership.  The General said that he tried many numbers before Otti 
picked up and whispered that he could not talk at the time.  Gulu 
District Chairman Mao speculates that Otti was probably alive, but 
stripped of his duties.  Mao has yet to reach any one in Otti's 
camp. 
 
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LRA DELEGATION ARRIVES AMID FANFARE 
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¶4.  (U) The LRA's negotiating team arrived in Kampala on November 1. 
 The GOU's chief negotiators, Minister of Internal Affairs Ruhakana 
Rugunda and Minister of State for International Affairs Okello 
Oryem, joined LRA delegation leader Martin Ojul in a two-hour press 
conference at which Ojul released a dove, symbolizing peace.  Ojul 
stated that the U.N. Security Council had the power to suspend the 
International Criminal Court (ICC) warrants.  Another LRA member 
Ayena Odongo said that the ICC warrants were an encumbrance to the 
peace process.  Separately, President Museveni repeated that Uganda 
would not support lifting the warrants without a peace deal.  Ojul 
apologized to Museveni for the incident in October 2006 when 
delegation member Josephine Apire refused to shake his hand.  She 
has been replaced on the LRA delegation by David Matsanga Norekesh. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) The LRA delegation met with President Museveni on November 
3 with the African observers to the talks.  Museveni began the 
meeting pointing out that Martin Ojul, James Obita, and Santa Okot 
were not genuine LRA because Obita and Okot had been members of the 
ruling party.  Museveni also stated that this was not Ojul's first 
visit to Uganda in 20 years as touted in the press.  Museveni told 
the group that during Ojul's last visit a year ago, he attempted to 
smuggle out some of Kony's wives and children but was caught in 
Busia, at the Ugandan-Kenyan border by Ugandan immigration 
officials.  After he finished establishing the LRA delegates' bona 
fides, Museveni struck a highly conciliatory tone and encouraged 
them to sign a peace deal.  He said that they would all be welcomed 
back into Uganda.  Museveni noted that some of Obita's businesses 
and assets had been seized since Obita joined the LRA team and said 
that he (Museveni) had instructed Ugandan government officials to 
return Obita's assets. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) After the African observers left the room, Museveni 
reportedly urged the LRA delegates to conclude a peace deal as soon 
as possible.  Museveni also urged them to think through what 
 
KAMPALA 00001720  002 OF 002 
 
 
security guarantees were needed for Kony to come out of the bush. 
 
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CESSATION OF HOSTILITIES AGREEMENT EXTENDED 
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¶7.  (SBU) The Government and LRA extended the Cessation of 
Hostilities Agreement (CHA) until January 31, 2008.  The Congolese 
observer to the talks, Andre Kapanga, objected to an attempt by the 
LRA and the GOU to formalize the expansion of the assembly area into 
a full circle 30 kilometers into Congo.  Kapanga told the LRA 
delegation that the Government of the Democratic Republic of Congo 
did not give permission for the LRA to enter the country.  While 
there was a gentleman's agreement that the LRA could remain within 
30 kilometers from the border while the talks proceeded, the GDRC 
would not, in writing, give the LRA permission to be in the country. 
 Kapanga privately told P/E Chief that the Congolese were concerned 
that if the assembly area were extended into Congo, then the Ugandan 
Peoples' Defense Forces (UPDF) might try to justify military actions 
into the designated assembly areas if the talks failed.  The CHA 
extension would be reviewed on February 1. 
 
- - - - 
COMMENT 
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¶8.  (SBU) Prior to Makasi's arrival, GOU military officials hoped 
that his escape and warm reception could be used publicly to 
encourage more LRA defections.  However, his arrival coincided with 
that of the LRA's negotiating team, which could complicate these 
plans, according to civilian members of the GOU team.  They are 
concerned that the LRA negotiators could claim that the GOU's 
promotion of defections during the consultations was hostile 
propaganda and in violation of the CHA.  The Government has not yet 
decided on its way forward. 
CHRITTON