VZCZCXYZ0014
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHKM #0399/01 0661105
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 071105Z MAR 07
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8372
INFO RUEHC/DEPT OF LABOR WASHDC
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0909

UNCLAS KAMPALA 000399 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USTR BILL JACKSON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD EINV EFIN EAID PGOV PHUM PREF UG
SUBJECT: UGANDA: ROUNDUP ON MCCORMICK-POWELL VISIT 
 
¶1.  Summary:  David McCormick, Deputy National Security Advisor for 
International Economic Affairs and Dina Powell, Assistant Secretary 
for Educational and Cultural Affairs led a delegation through Uganda 
from March 2-5. The delegation came to observe the impact of foreign 
assistance and public diplomacy efforts, with a focus on 
public-private partnerships, African Growth and Opportunity Act and 
President Bush's Emergency Plans for AIDS relief (PEPFAR) and 
Malaria (PMI).  The delegation visited several USAID assistance 
programs and met with key partners including World Vision, Invisible 
Children, Dunavant and the UN's World Food Program.  End Summary. 
 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
PEPFAR and Other Humanitarian Foreign Assistance 
--------------------------------------------- --- 
 
¶2.  The delegation visited The Aids Support Organization (TASO) 
center in Entebbe, one of eleven satellite HIV/AIDS care and 
treatment centers that serve 54,000 HIV-positive patients throughout 
the county.  In 2004, TASO was allocated initial PEPFAR funds to 
expand their care and counseling services to include the provision 
of anti-retroviral treatment (ART), using the innovative strategy of 
distributing ART by motorcycle to clients' homes.  The delegation 
rode with a motorcycle convoy to a home to see this approach and 
learn about the products and services that are now able to reach 
these rural populations. 
 
¶3.  The delegation witnessed a World Food Program (WFP) food 
distribution and visited USAID PMI program.  Koch Ongako Camp is one 
of 63 WFP assisted camps in Gulu district and has a population of 
7,870 internally displaced persons (IDPs).  Representatives from WFP 
stressed the difficulty for IDPs to feel safe without an official 
statement from President Museveni assuring them it is safe to return 
to their home villages.  For WFP, this complicates planning for the 
transition between relief and development programs. However, many 
families have commenced agricultural production on their home land 
or around the camp, and return to the IDP camp only to supplement 
their food supplies and receive social services.  The WFP currently 
provides 60 percent of the food consumed in the camp, and hopes to 
reduce that percentage as people resettle. 
 
¶4.  The village leaders of the IDP camp had the opportunity to 
express their anxiety over the slow peace process and their fear 
that assistance would diminish as the initial crisis is resolved. 
They requested further assistance with food, health and education, 
at least through the initial phase of resettlement.  A/S Powell 
assured the village leaders that assistance will continue even after 
resettlement, including through additional funds for new HIV/AIDS, 
PMI and Tuberculosis programs.  Uganda's USAID Deputy Director 
promised that the camp would be among many camps to receive 
assistance for new education and agriculture programs, but warned 
that these initiatives will take time to be established and become 
effective. 
 
¶5.  The delegation visited St. Mary Hospital Lacor, the leading 
hospital in northern Uganda.  With funding from PEPFAR to the AIDS 
Relief program, the Lacor ARV treatment program was initiated in 
October 2004.  Currently, 1,600 patients are provided with ARVs, of 
which 150 are children. 7,200 HIV positive clients receive 
comprehensive care.  From 2003 to 2006, the U.S. Government provided 
support to Action Against Hunger for supplementary and therapeutic 
feeding programs for severely mal-nourished children through USAID's 
Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance. 
 
¶6.  A/S Powell visited the Joint Clinical Research Center (JCRC), 
the premier African antiretroviral research and service delivery 
center, to provide an overview of USG support for using JCRC as a 
model for AIDS treatment in Uganda and throughout Africa.  A/S 
Powell also met with dozens of children being served by the Meeting 
Point, a renowned orphanage and service provider that refers clients 
to JCRC for medical care. 
 
----------------------- 
Humanitarian Assistance 
----------------------- 
 
¶7.  The delegation toured the World Vision Children of War 
Rehabilitation Center where they were briefed on reintegration and 
rehabilitation efforts for ex-combatants and child-mothers who had 
been abducted by the LRA.  At one time, the center housed up to 400 
children, but due to the improved security situation, only 3 young 
adult males were there.  Since 1995, the center has supported over 
10,000 children and adults affected by the LRA conflict with 
financial assistance provided by USAID.  Two ex-combatants who 
escaped the LRA after hearing the GOU sponsored radio announcements, 
recounted their abduction, the horrors of life in the LRA, and how 
the center helped them reintegrate into society.  A/S Powell praised 
the World Vision for its efforts in assisting former fighters whom 
had the courage to flee from the LRA. 
 
¶8.  The delegation also had the opportunity to see the dwindling 
number of "night commuters," children who once walked several 
kilometers to sleep in the safety of town each evening to avoid 
abduction by the LRA.  At the height of the conflict in June 2004, 
this facility housed 10,000 children per night.  Now that the 
security situation has improved significantly around Gulu, the 
facility hosts only 55-75 children the majority of who come for 
social services rather than safety. 
 
¶9.  The delegation met with representatives of the NGO Invisible 
Children at Gulu high school to witness the implemention of their 
Schools for Schools program, which encourages schools in the U.S. 
and around the world to donate money on a project-by-project basis 
to several schools in Gulu district.  During the years of LRA 
conflict, the facilities at Gulu high school were looted several 
times and many students were abducted. The Schools for Schools 
program has raised enough money for Gulu high school to have a new 
science laboratory and a girl's dormitory.  Invisible Children has 
raised enough money to sponsor 540 (64 percent girls) of the 1,400 
students at Gulu.  Sponsorship includes tuition and much needed 
counseling for traumatized students. 
 
------------------------------------- 
Public/Private Partnerships and Trade 
------------------------------------- 
 
¶10.  The delegation flew to Kitgum district, to see a cotton gin run 
by Dunavant.  Dunavant, based in Memphis, Tennessee is the world's 
largest cotton purchaser.  The gin has been operating since 2002 and 
Dunavant signed a Global Development Alliance agreement with USAID 
to double the production of organic cotton in the area as well as 
food crops.  Two thousand nine hundred farm families have self 
organized into "producer organizations".  Once a group is able to 
bring together a contiguous parcel of 50 acres or more, they are 
eligible to participate in the project.  Dunavant and USAID 
anticipate 12,500 resettled farm families will benefit from the 
initiative.  Northern Uganda is a historic cotton producing area and 
with this new partnership, they will be able to participate in the 
growing global demand for organic cotton products. 
 
¶11.  David McCormick and Mike Magan visited Phenix Logistics, which 
made its first major shipment of apparel to the U.S. market under 
the African Growth and Opportunity Act (AGOA) on February 23.  An 
export of 50,000 organic t-shirts, valued at about USD 125,000 
represented the first 100 percent Ugandan made organic cotton 
apparel. 
 
¶12.  Uganda was recently named the African lead for the next round 
of World Trade Organization talks.  Mr. McCormick discussed Uganda's 
role in the talks with Minister of Energy, Daudi Migereko who is the 
former Minister of Trade, Tourism and Industry.  Migereko praised 
President Bush for bringing enthusiasm to the upcoming trade talks 
and said he was encouraged by U.S. efforts to expand trade 
opportunities for Africa.  Migereko added that Uganda, like most of 
Africa, needs to focus on trade capacity building and looks to the 
United States to assist in "aid for trade" options. 
 
---------------- 
Public Diplomacy 
---------------- 
 
¶13.  During the visit, A/S Powell announced the selection of Uganda 
to be included in this year's State Department Youth Leadership 
Program.  The program will bring 10 students and teachers in Uganda 
to the U.S. to learn about the importance of free press and free 
expression in the development of democracies throughout the world. 
This program will be among the many exchange programs between the US 
and Uganda, including the Fulbright Program and the International 
Visitor Leadership program.  Following the announcement, A/S Powell 
participated in three media interviews with Wavah Broadcasting 
Service (WBS), Monitor and Uganda Radio Network. 
BROWNING