VZCZCXYZ0012
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKM #1540/01 2261055
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 141055Z AUG 06
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 7418
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0473

UNCLAS KAMPALA 001540 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF, AF/E, DRL, INR, PRM 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL PGOV UG SU
SUBJECT: NORTHERN UGANDA: GOU PRESENTS CEASE-FIRE PROPOSAL, 
ICC INDICTEE KILLED 
 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  The Government of Uganda formally 
presented its position paper on disarmament, amnesty, 
repatriation, demobilization, and re-integration of the 
Lord's Resistance Army on August 11 at the peace talks in 
Juba.  Key provisions include the assembly of LRA forces 
within 14 days of signing the agreement, establishment of a 
Cease-fire Monitoring Team to include a member of the Core 
Group, amnesty for all members of the LRA, and the 
integration into the military or reintegration into society 
of LRA combatants.  The GOU accused the LRA of violating its 
own self-declared cease-fire, including several incidents 
over the past week.  Raska Lukwiya, one of the five LRA 
leaders indicted by the International Criminal Court, was 
reportedly killed on August 12.  The GOU has finally been 
able to make public its conditions for a cease-fire, which 
include amnesty, but Lukwiya's death could have a chilling 
effect on the GOU's overtures to the LRA leadership.  The LRA 
and GOU negotiating teams are scheduled to resume peace talks 
August 14.   End Summary. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - 
AMNESTY ON THE TABLE 
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¶2.  (SBU)  According to the GOU proposal, "all the members of 
the LRA shall be granted amnesty in accordance with the 
Amnesty Act.  It is, however, recognized that the LRA has 
problems with the community in Uganda and outside.  It is 
also recognized that impunity can never be condoned.  It will 
therefore be necessary for all LRA fighters to go through a 
reconciliation process before they can live peacefully in 
their communities.  The LRA will therefore be required to 
accept the wrongs that they have done, ask for forgiveness 
and pay reparation.  In this case, the Acholi traditional 
method of Mato Oput, as an alternative form of justice is 
suited to this process.  All LRA fighters will therefore be 
required to go through the process of Mato Oput and thus, 
will have gone through and exhausted the traditional system 
of justice and hence addressing the question of impunity.  It 
is also a fact that the ICC issued international warrants for 
the arrest of five leaders of the LRA.  On successful 
completion of the Peace Talks, under the Rome Statute, the 
GOU and the ICC will review the warrants of arrest." 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
ASSEMBLY, DEMOBILIZATION, AND DISARMAMENT 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  The GOU paper calls for the LRA to assemble within 
14 days of the signing of the agreement.  The LRA then must 
provide information on the strength and disposition of its 
forces and give inventories of equipment, arms, and 
ammunition, location of landmines to a Cease-fire Monitoring 
Group (CMT).  The CMT will be composed of the following 
representatives: two from the Ugandan Peoples' Defense 
Forces, two LRA, two SPLA, one member from the African Union, 
one member from the United Nations, and one member of the 
Core Group.  The CMT will report to the mediator.  Cease-fire 
violations shall include: hostile propaganda, attacks on the 
forces of the other party, obstruction of the CMT, ambushes, 
laying landmines, restriction of movement of humanitarian 
goods and workers, and any attacks on civilians to include 
assault, harassment, rape, maiming, abduction, looting, and 
recruitment.  For its part, the GOU will not deploy troops 
near the LRA's assembly points. 
 
¶4.  (SBU)  LRA fighters will be integrated into the UPDF if 
they meet military qualifications.  Those that wish to go to 
school will be assisted to do so.  Others will receive 
resettlement assistance.  The GOU will request help from the 
international community to support re-integration. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
RASKA LUKWIYA, ICC INDICTEE KILLED 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Reports surfaced in Kampala that one of the five 
ICC LRA indictees, Raska Lukwiya, was reportedly killed on 
August 12.  Two local government and military sources 
confirmed the report of his death to poloff.  According to 
the UPDF sopkesman, Lukwiya and a group of nine LRA rebels 
killed a civilian and a UPDF soldier in an ambush on August 
¶10.  The UPDF deployed a unit of soldiers to pursue the band 
of rebels and killed Lukwiya in a firefight August 12.  The 
other nine rebels escaped, but two more were killed in 
another firefight August 13.  The UPDF remains in pursuit of 
the remaining seven rebels.  Lukwiya was the LRA Army 
Commander who formerly occupied the posts of Brigade General 
 
and Deputy Army Commander.  According to the ICC indictment, 
he was a key member of "Control Altar", the core LRA 
leadership responsible for devising and implementing LRA 
strategy, including brutalization of the population and 
attacks on IDPs.  He was charged with committing crimes 
against humanity.  A french journalist who spoke with LRA 
leadership told the GOU negotiating team August 14 that the 
LRA confirmed it will continue participating in peace talks 
despite Lukwiya's death.  The LRA, however, told the 
journalist they intend to ask the mediator for three days of 
mourning and that flags be flown at half mast. 
 
¶6.  (SBU)  During the past week, another ICC indictee, 
Domenic Ongwen had engaged the UPDF in discussions over his 
possible surrender, according to a press report.  While he 
was considering his options, he reportedly was persuaded by 
another commander not to surrender until the GOU signed a 
cease-fire.  He also may have received orders from Kony to 
break up the men under his command into smaller units and 
move into Congo. 
 
¶7.  (U)  Meanwhile, the GOU accused the LRA of violating its 
own cease-fire over the past week.  On August 10, a LRA unit 
led by "Koyello" attacked Ngukedi village, abducting seven 
people who had returned to farm their gardens.  One of the 
abductees escaped and informed the UPDF, which mounted a 
rescue operation.  The LRA killed two of the villagers and 
the others were rescued.  The UPDF spokesman said that LRA 
rebels have committed at least five attacks since LRA 
leadership declared a unilateral ceasefire August 6. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
SPECIAL ENVOY FOR THE GREAT LAKES 
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¶8.  (U)  In another development on the peace process front, 
Ugandan newspapers are reporting that former Mozambican 
President Joaquim Chissano's appointment as Special Envoy for 
the Great Lakes is imminent.  He reportedly visited Kampala 
last week to brief President Museveni on his observation of 
the Congo elections.  His terms of reference include the 
implementation of a GOU-LRA peace deal.  The press is 
speculating that Chissano's own experience with peace and 
reconciliation and his preference for "African solutions for 
African problems" make him an acceptable choice for the GOU. 
 
- - - - 
COMMENT 
- - - - 
 
¶9.  (SBU)  The LRA's declaration of a unilateral cease-fire 
earlier in the week put the GOU a bit on the defensive.  The 
GOU's outline of cease-fire provisions has put the ball back 
into the LRA's court.  The Government's promise of amnesty is 
now formally on the table and remains the critical element of 
an ultimate peace deal.  However, the circumstances 
surrounding Lukwiya's death cause the LRA's leadership to 
doubt the GOU's sincerity.  Another loose end to be addressed 
is the reconciliation process: our discussions with 
non-Acholi leaders in the north indicate that they have not 
endorsed the Acholi Mato Oput reconciliation process. 
Finally, we note that the provision of Core Group membership 
on the Cease-fire Monitoring Group (CMT) may prompt the GOU 
to seek the U.S., U.K., Norway, or the Netherlands to 
participate more actively in the implementation of the peace 
process once a deal is reached.  They have not approached 
Core Group embassies about CMT membership. 
BROWNING