VZCZCXRO2579
RR RUEHGI RUEHRN RUEHROV
DE RUEHKM #0871/01 1420735
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 220735Z MAY 07
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8784
INFO RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0578
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 0401
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 3255
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KAMPALA 000871 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USAID AND OFDA 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREF PREL MOPS ASEC CASC EAID UG SU
SUBJECT: NORTHERN UGANDA NOTES (May 1-18, 2007) 
 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: The following Northern Uganda Notes provides 
information on the situation on the ground and USG activities aimed 
at meeting Mission's objectives in northern Uganda.  These 
objectives include promoting regional stability through peace and 
security, good governance, access to social services, economic 
growth, and humanitarian assistance.  Post appreciates feedback from 
consumers on the utility of this product and any gaps in information 
that need to be filled.  End Summary. 
 
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PEACE AND RECONCILIATION PROCESSES 
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¶2.  (U) Negotiations between the Government of Uganda and the Lord's 
Resistance Army (LRA) resumed on April 26.  Initial sessions were 
bogged down on the issue of allowances for the LRA delegates.  The 
LRA requested face-to-face meetings with the GOU delegation to 
finalize agreement on Agenda Item Two: Comprehensive Solutions. 
After initially reviving demands for ministerial positions and 
control over development funds in northern Uganda, the LRA relented 
and agreed to sign a text that was a combination of provisions from 
the Ugandan Constitution and the Northern Uganda Peace, Recovery, 
and Development Plan (PRDP).  Other issues were deferred to an 
"implementing protocol."  The signed document was similar to what 
had been agreed in December 2006. 
 
¶3.  (U) The peace talks recessed on May 3 to allow the LRA delegates 
to travel to Rikwangba to consult with LRA leaders Joseph Kony and 
Vincent Otti.  The resumption date for the talks has slipped from 
May 14 to May 31 to give the LRA more time to discuss the next 
agenda item, "justice and accountability." 
 
¶4.  (SBU) Donors continue to grapple with financial and 
accountability issues related to the Juba Initiative Fund.  A 
streamlined approval process with specified regulations as to what 
can be paid has been developed by the donors and U.N. Office of the 
Coordinator for Humanitarian Affairs.  This will be administered by 
KPMG, an accounting firm.  Meanwhile, the LRA continues to demand 
increased allowances and more frequent travel out of Juba.  The 
Government of South Sudan requested that the secretariat staff be 
paid for out of the JIF, which the donors rejected.  UNOCHA has 
prepared a document clearly stating the allowable expenses and 
process through which funds would be disbursed.  Discussion of the 
allowances will be raised when the talks resume. 
 
¶5.  (SBU) USG Activities:  Africa Bureau Deputy Assistant Secretary 
James Swan discussed the prospects for a peace agreement with GOU 
negotiators, parliamentarians, and military officials during his 
visit to Uganda from May 7-8.  Government negotiators outlined a new 
approach on the issues of justice and accountability, which will 
focus on teaching the LRA leaders about their judicial options, 
rather than focus on traditional reconciliation mechanisms.  The GOU 
expressed its satisfaction with the level of support from the U.S. 
for the peace process.  Northern parliamentarians raised the issue 
of the LRA's designation on terrorist lists and the International 
Criminal Court indictments as impediments to the peace process. 
They expressed disappointment with the LRA delegation's delaying 
tactics at the talks, and expressed concerns about the 
marginalization of non-Acholi districts in terms of humanitarian 
assistance.  Military officials claim that the LRA is regrouping and 
rearming in Garamba National Park and described their efforts to 
work with Uganda's neighbors on joint operations. 
 
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SECURITY UPDATE 
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¶6.  (U) The Ugandan Peoples' Defense Forces (UPDF) and Sudan 
Peoples' Liberation Army (SPLA) gave the LRA the approved corridors 
for assembly of LRA forces from Owiny Kibul area to Rikwangba on May 
¶8.  After Kony and Otti give their approval of the routes, the LRA 
forces in that area will have seven days to assemble at Rikwangba. 
LRA members in other parts of southern Sudan or northern Uganda have 
until June 30 to assemble. 
 
¶7.  (U) The LRA reportedly ambushed vehicles on the Gulu-Nimule road 
at the Uganda-Sudan border on April 30.  Seven people were killed, 
several reportedly abducted, and property looted.  LRA leaders are 
playing down the incident.  LRA deputy, Vincent Otti, called Radio 
Mega FM in Gulu and said that LRA members should not attack 
civilians. 
 
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KAMPALA 00000871  002 OF 003 
 
 
HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY 
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¶8.  (U) UNHCR released statistics on population movement in northern 
Uganda for March.  In the Acholi sub-region (Amuru, Gulu, Kitgum, 
and Pader districts) only one percent of the population has returned 
to their villages of origin, far lower than expected.  Twenty-four 
percent are believed to be in decongestion sites or transit camps. 
Nonetheless, UNHCR estimates that 80 percent of the 
internally-displaced persons (IDPs) are accessing up to four acres 
of land. 
 
¶9.  (U) In contrast, returns in non-Acholi districts are higher.  In 
Lango District, 76 percent of IDPs have returned to their villages 
of origin and 24 percent remain in camps.  The numbers of IDPs in 
transit in Lango are negligible.  Humanitarian organizations say 
that those IDPs remaining in camps in Lango are likely to remain 
permanently in towns and trading centers.  Sanitation in remaining 
camps is deteriorating now that humanitarian organizations are no 
longer overseeing services or maintaining garbage pits.  USAID/OFDA 
Northern Uganda Advisor states that the transition of the camps 
could provide an opportunity to increase the capacity of local 
governments in planning and delivery of services at the sub-county 
level. 
 
¶10.  (U) The GOU and UNDP/Mine Action are addressing complaints 
raised by de-miners who recently stopped working.  Salaries for the 
de-miners will be increased, district hospitals have agreed to treat 
injured de-miners and medics will be deployed with each team.  The 
de-miners also want an ambulance deployed with each team and have 
requested a higher level of training.  The training options are 
being explored in Kenya.  The GOU and UNDP/Mine Action report that 
there are more sites than expected, including large weapons caches 
that require higher-level explosive ordnance disposal for which the 
de-miners are not trained. 
 
¶11.  (SBU) USG Activities: P/E Chief and Democracy and Governance 
Advisor attended a briefing in Kampala by John Holmes, the new U.N. 
Under-Secretary for Humanitarian Affairs on May 16.  This was 
Holmes' first visit to Uganda.  He described Ugandan government 
officials as skeptical that the Juba peace process would yield an 
agreement.  Government officials described the LRA as a spent force 
and said that if the talks failed, the LRA would not be able to 
"create chaos" in northern Uganda.  President Museveni emphasized 
the importance of putting "an end to impunity" with regard to the 
LRA.  The Prime Minister's office emphasized the importance of 
moving from relief to development. 
 
¶12.  (SBU) Holmes stated that he wanted to meet with Ugandan 
Government officials before he made any decisions on how to move 
forward on the issue of the humanitarian coordinator.  He did not 
anticipate repeating the same process that failed to gain government 
acceptance of Elizabeth Rassmussen's nomination.  The status quo was 
not acceptable to Holmes either.  He anticipated working out a 
compromise between both positions, and promised to consult widely 
with the field in making a decision. 
 
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IN THE MEDIA AND THE WEB 
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¶13.  (U) During his recent visit to Uganda, Deputy Assistant 
Secretary Swan participated in an on-the-record roundtable 
 
SIPDIS 
discussion on May 8 with journalists from The New Vision, The Daily 
Monitor, The EastAfrican, The Weekly Observer and Uganda Radio 
Network.  While the journalists were primarily focused on the UPDF's 
deployment in Somalia, and Ugandan democratization and human rights 
practices, they also asked about U.S. support for the Juba talks and 
our position on the ICC indictments of four LRA leaders.  Swan 
replied: "With respect to the negotiations in Juba with the LRA, in 
general, we very much support the African-led mediation in Juba, 
which also benefits obviously from the support of former president 
Chissano and now from the presence of other African observer 
countries that are represented in Juba.  We think that this process 
needs to go forward and we endorse that process.  We also think that 
it is important that commitments that have been made as part of the 
process be respected - in this case, notably, the requirement that 
the LRA proceed to the assembly point at Ri-Kwangba before June 30, 
so we are very eager to see that happen." 
 
¶14.  (U) Swan continued, "With respect to the International Criminal 
Court (ICC), clearly this is something that is going to have to be 
worked out between the government of Uganda and the ICC in terms of 
 
KAMPALA 00000871  003 OF 003 
 
 
determining a way forward.  The U.S. priority in this situation is 
for peace.  We, as you know, are not signatories to the ICC charter 
- the Rome Charter - but we believe very strongly that there needs 
to be justice and accountability for those who committed abuses in 
northern Uganda." 
 
¶15.  (U) The full transcript of the press roundtable is available on 
the U.S. Mission Website (http://kampala.usembassy.gov). 
CHRITTON