VZCZCXRO2497
RR RUEHGI RUEHRN RUEHROV
DE RUEHKM #0577/01 0930142
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 030142Z APR 07
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8529
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KAMPALA 000577 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT FOR AF/E AND AF/C; AF FOR SWANN 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: MOPS PREL ASECPHUM PGOV PTER UG
SUBJECT: GOVERNMENT DEMANDS ACTION AGAINST UGANDAN REBELS IN CONGO 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Summary:  Following recent infiltrations of Allied 
Democratic Front (ADF) rebels into western Uganda from bases 
in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), the Ugandan Government 
formally protested to the DRC and the U.N. Mission in Congo (MONUC). 
The Ugandan military killed over 46 ADF rebels in several 
encounters throughout March.  The activities of the ADF, a 
U.S.-designated terrorist group, have increased since late 
last year.  The latest casualties included three commanders 
who were named on Uganda's most wanted list that was shared 
with other Tripartite Plus partners in mid-March.  According 
to the military, ADF rebels have regrouped and are increasingly 
recruiting children and are being resupplied in eastern DRC. 
The GOU is demanding that DRC and MONUC take immediate action 
against the ADF, Lord's Resistance Army, and other groups 
based in DRC.  End Summary. 
 
¶2.  (SBU) On March 29, Minister of State for International 
Relations Henry Okello Oryem delivered the GOU's formal protest 
letter to the DRC's Charge in Kampala.  The GOU expressed 
concern over the continued presence and activities of the ADF 
operating from bases in eastern DRC.  According to Oryem, 
he handed over a strongly worded diplomatic note that urged 
Kinshasa "to take immediate action to ensure that its territory 
ceases to be used by negative forces whose purpose was aimed 
at destabilizing Uganda.Q  Kinshasa has not reacted to 
Uganda's protest and demand. 
 
¶3.  (SBU)  On March 31, DCM attended a briefing by Minister 
of Security Amama Mbabazi for the representatives of U.N. 
Security Council's five Permanent members and the inactive 
Kampala Core Group.  Mbabazi stated that the Government of 
Uganda had information that the activities among four Ugandan 
rebel groups: the ADF, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), 
the Peoples' Redemption Army (PRA), and the National Army 
for the Liberation Uganda (NALU) had increased.  He stated 
that during the recent incursions of some 60-80 ADF, at 
least 42 had been killed and six captured.  Meanwhile, 
the LRA was preparing to fight and "making connections" 
with other groups.  Mbabazi said that Uganda was frustrated 
that DRC and MONUC had taken no actions against these 
groups despite DRC's commitment to do so. 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Okello Oryem stated that the GOU's positive 
assessment of the negotiations with the LRA at Juba was 
intended to show the Government's commitment to the process, 
not necessarily confidence in a positive outcome.  Mbabazi 
asserted that there was no contradiction in increasing military 
pressure on the LRA, since it was military pressure that 
brought the LRA to the peace talks in the first place. 
He said that now that the LRA was safe in Garamba National 
Park in Congo, the group was not under pressure to deliver 
at Juba.  Mbabazi added that he was on his way to brief the 
International Criminal Court (ICC) on the status of the LRA 
negotiations.  He described the ICC as "getting impatient." 
 
¶5.  (SBU) Minister of Defense Crispus Kiyonga used tough 
talk during a press conference on March 31.  He said that 
Uganda reserved the right to self-defense, including the 
pursuit of terrorists to their points of origin.  He appealed 
to the DRC Government and MONUC to deal with the situation 
by implementing agreed positions that were discussed at 
different levels several times.  Kiyonga was referring to a 
bilateral meeting between DRC President Joseph Kabila and 
Museveni at the Great Lakes Summit in December 2006 in 
Nairobi, regular meetings between the DRC, Ugandan, and 
MONUC security chiefs, and the U.S.-brokered Tripartite 
Plus meetings. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
UGANDAN MILITARY CLASHES WITH ADF 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶6.  (SBU) The GOU's formal protest comes after several 
clashes with ADF rebels in western Uganda over the past 
month.  Lt. Tabaro Kiconco, a military spokesperson, told 
Emboff that the GOU had stepped up its military operations 
in western Uganda and that there was a full deployment of 
UPDF soldiers along the DRC border areas near Lake Albert. 
He also said the army had undertaken a sensitization 
campaign to discourage the local population from being 
recruited by the rebels.  The military urged the public 
to be vigilant and to offer their support during military 
operations.  In addition, the army conducted radio programs 
in the region calling on those in the bush to surrender 
and apply for amnesty. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) The Ugandan Peoples' Defense Forces (UPDF) 
confirmed the following encounters with the rebels during March. 
 
KAMPALA 00000577  002 OF 002 
 
 
 
-- On March 29, the military discovered the bodies of 
14 other rebels killed on March 27. 
 
-- On March 28, the army killed four ADF rebels in 
Bundibugyo District. 
 
-- On March 27, the UPDF soldiers killed 34 ADF rebels 
and captured five others in Bundibugyo District.  Kiconco 
said the engagement began when the army clashed with 60 ADF 
rebels who had entered Uganda from DRC.  Among those killed 
were three senior commanders on UgandaQs most wanted list 
that was shared during the Tripartite Plus meeting in March. 
They included Bosco Balau Isiko, Deputy Commanding Officer 
and fourth in the ADFQs hierarchy; Dr. Nade Solora Vien, 
Chief of Military Intelligence; and Dada Watooto, Operations 
Officer.  Other ADF commanders killed from the list were 
Rashid Lukwago, Tiger Musauri, Butambuzi and Faustin Nzaha. 
 
-- On March 24, UPDF forces killed four rebels along Lamya 
River, Bundibugyo District. 
 
-- On March 23, the UPDF killed two ADF rebels when they 
attempted to enter Uganda from the DRC through Bundibugyo 
District. 
 
-- On March 15, Capt. John Kamanzi, UPDFQs First Division 
spokesperson, said that the army killed two suspected ADF 
rebels and injured another during operations in Mubende District. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) During military operations against the rebels, 
the army captured submachine guns, boxes of submachine gun 
ammunition, RPG launchers, grenades and submachine gun 
magazines.  Military spokespersons also claim that they 
captured documentation and found other information during 
the raids linking the ADF to the LRA.  The GOU has made 
allegations of possible ties between the two groups in 
the past.  When Mbabazi hinted at the same allegations 
during his briefing on March 31, members of the diplomatic 
corps asked to see the information.  Some expressed 
concern that precipitous actions against the LRA could 
jeopardize the Juba Peace Process. 
 
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Comment 
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¶9.  (SBU) Recent clashes with the ADF give some credibility 
to the GOU's concerns about rebel infiltrations from DRC. 
However, the GOU has made allegations about collaboration 
between the ADF, LRA, and PRA in the past, resulting in 
some skepticism within the diplomatic community.  The GOU 
appears to be laying the diplomatic groundwork to conduct 
military operations into DRC against the LRA and other groups. 
We continue to urge Uganda to work collaboratively with Congo 
and MONUC on plans for military operations against the LRA, 
but it is not clear how long the Government of Uganda will 
wait for action.  The Mission has issued a travel advisory 
for the affected area in western Uganda. 
 
BROWNING