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RR RUEHGI RUEHRN RUEHROV
DE RUEHKM #0964/01 1561202
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 051202Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8876
INFO RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0586
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 0404
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 3271
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KAMPALA 000964 
 
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 19-June 2, 2007) 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: The following Northern Uganda Notes 
provides information on the situation on the ground and USG 
activities aimed at meeting MissionQs 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) Vincent Otti, the Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) 
second-in-command re-stated the rebel group's demand that 
the International Criminal Court (ICC) lift the warrants 
for the arrest of its top leaders before any disarmament 
and demobilization occurs.  Otti made the remarks during a 
visit by Sky TV reporters, who spent three days with the 
LRA leadership at Garamba National Park.  The footage aired 
on May 25. Otti stated that "we cannot go back to Uganda 
without lifting these indictments."  Otti claimed that the 
GOU had the power to get the indictments dropped.  He 
threatened that the LRA "has enough to capture power.  We 
were seven, now we are thousands.  Everybody in Uganda 
wants change, but they cannot do anything without the 
barrel of a gun."  Otti also said that the LRA "can fight" 
if the indictments were not lifted. 
 
¶3.  (U) On May 27, President Museveni condemned Otti's 
remarks as an assault on the peace process.  On May 30, 
government negotiators said that remarks made by LRA's 
second-in-command, Vincent Otti, would not deter the GOU 
from achieving its goals at the negotiations.  The GOU 
stated that its objectives were reaching an agreement that 
will bring lasting peace to Northern Uganda and Southern 
Sudan; ensuring that there is no impunity and there is 
justice for the victims; satisfying the traditional norms 
of the affected communities; and ensuring that the 
legitimate concerns and respect for international laws, 
including the ICC are adequately addressed. 
 
¶5.  (U) The peace talks resumed on May 31.  A workshop on 
accountability issues kicked off the meetings.  Acholi 
traditional leader, Rwot Acana, presented a paper on 
traditional reconciliation and accountability mechanisms. 
 
¶6.  (U)  USG Activities: Political/Economic Chief attended 
a briefing by the Government of Uganda negotiating team on 
May 30. 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Cynthia Brady, Conflict Specialist in USAIDQs 
Office of Conflict Mitigation and Management, visited 
Uganda from May 9-30 to help the Mission design a new, 
community-based peace and reconciliation activity for the 
conflict-affected areas of northern Uganda.  Within the 
framework of the Government of UgandaQs Peace, Recovery and 
Development Plan for Northern Uganda and based on lessons 
learned from evaluations of the Northern Uganda Peace 
Initiative and the Community Resilience and Dialogue 
activity, the new program includes components for (1) 
peace-building and reconciliation, (2) economic security 
and social inclusion, and (3) access to justice.  A 
solicitation is planned for later this summer. 
 
- - - - - - - - 
SECURITY UPDATE 
- - - - - - - - 
 
¶8.  (SBU) According to U.N. Office for the Coordination of 
Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) in Juba, the Cessation of 
Hostilities Monitoring Team (CHMT) was working out proposed 
assembly routes after the LRA rejected the Ugandan Peoples' 
Defense Forces (UPDF) and Sudan Peoples' Liberation Army 
(SPLA) proposed routes announced on May 8.  The CHMT 
announced the routes and reported that various LRA groups 
have crossed the Nile and were moving to Garamba National 
Park. 
 
¶9.  (SBU) On May 19, a group of 75 alleged LRA attacked 
villages north of Laihya, Central Equatoria State, Southern 
Sudan, which is 25 miles west of Juba.  One of the homes 
 
KAMPALA 00000964  002 OF 003 
 
 
looted belonged to the Southern Sudanese Minister of 
Information, Samson Kwaje, who is also a member of the 
mediating team.  On May 22, the LRA attacked the village of 
Fore, 80 miles west of Juba.  Two SPLA soldiers were killed 
during an LRA attack on May 23 near the same village.  The 
LRA group with commander Thomas Kwoyello was believed to be 
responsible for these attacks.  Reportedly, Kwoyello's 
group subsequently sustained serious losses at the hands of 
a southern Sudanese militia group. 
 
¶10.  (U) In LRA-affected northern Uganda, the general 
security situation remained calm in Lango, Teso and Acholi 
regions.  In Kaabong, Karamoja, a WFP truck was attacked 
and one staff person killed, reportedly by Karamojong.  WFP 
temporarily suspended operations.  Otuke county, Lira 
District and portions of eastern Pader District continue to 
be affected by Karamajong attacks. 
 
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HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶11.  (U) In Lira District, there was a fairly high degree 
of movement from Abia, Aliwang and Adwari where there are 
now less then 1,000 internally displaced persons (IDPs) in 
the three camps.  Many IDPs were maintaining some minimal 
contact with their huts in the camp although they do not 
stay there permanently.  For example, 80 percent of the 
huts in these three camps were locked with no sign of 
residents around, but clearly not abandoned.  Over the past 
month there has been increased movement of IDPs originating 
from Pader District moving from southern Lira into camps in 
northern Lira (closer to Pader).  IDPs in these did not 
report land access as a problem.  More than 80 percent of 
the IDPS still living in the camps are accessing their 
original land for cultivation. 
 
¶12.  (U) In Acholi districts, there were no significant 
changes in the pattern of movement.  The majority of IDPs 
moving out of the camps were settling in new sites. 
Approximately 50,000 IDPs moved to transit sites in April, 
increasing the number of IDPs in transit from 271,000 to 
321,000.  There was some evidence that the number of IDPs 
moving back to their homes is increasing from approximately 
1 percent in March to roughly 5 percent in May.  (Complete 
numbers for May are not yet available.)  Similar to the 
situation in Lango, approximately 80 percent of the 
population was accessing land for cultivation.  Land under 
cultivation also continues to increase.  In Gulu and Amuru 
districts the amount of land under cultivation per 
household was up from 3 acres in June 2006 to 4.4 acres in 
May 2007. 
 
¶13.  (U) IDPs continue to cite lack of safe water sources, 
lack of grass for thatching (next season for dry grass is 
October), fear to return before peace agreement is signed, 
lack of farm implements and tools, and fear of unexploded 
ordnance at return sites as factors hindering returns. 
 
¶14.  (SBU) Coordination and U.N. cluster management issues 
continue.  Overwhelmed by its cluster coordination 
responsibilities, UNICEF tried to pass responsibility for 
Gender-Based Violence (GBV) to U.N. Fund for Population 
Activities (UNFPA) with two weeks notice.  UNFPA is barely 
operational.  UNFPA might be a good place for GBV to be 
covered in the long run, but currently, UNFPA does not have 
the capacity to take a leadership role.  UNICEF agreed to 
continue in its coordination role until a better solution 
was found.  The other alternative is UNHCR, but it has its 
hands full, and has only just begun addressing camp 
management in an organized manner. 
 
¶15.  (SBU) UNHCR began rolling out the new camp management 
guidelines in northern Uganda.  Emphasis is being placed on 
using the camp management coordination structure to begin 
planning for camp closure.  This should help facilitate the 
shift away from camp leadership to the Local Councilor (LC) 
system.  Currently, these two tracks run in parallel.  Only 
Lango has a clear process for degazzetting camps, but over 
the past week Pader District officials began drafting 
procedures for camp closure.  UNHCR plans to extend the 
process underway in Pader to other districts in Acholiland. 
 
 
KAMPALA 00000964  003 OF 003 
 
 
¶16.  (SBU) Land continues to be a key protection issue. 
While land disputes were not inhibiting IDP returns, there 
is no functioning legal structure to handle disputes. 
Without legal guidelines or remedies, the potential for the 
further marginalization of vulnerable groups, such as 
female-headed households and child mothers continues to 
exist.   Districts are exploring ways to tackle this 
matter, but often vulnerable groups are not included in the 
discussion. 
 
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IN THE MEDIA AND THE WEB 
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¶17.  (U) The May 25 Daily Monitor published an QOpen Letter 
to the LRAQ by Olara Otuunu, former U.N. Undersecretary for 
Children and Armed Conflict and Acholi critic of the GOU. 
Otuunu accuses the LRA and President Museveni of a smear 
campaign to intimidate him. The accusation followed press 
reports in late April which quoted LRA negotiator David 
Nyekorach Matsanga as saying that the rebels had requested 
the removal of the LRA from the list of international 
terrorist organizations, so that Otuunu and others could 
participate in the peace process without being labeled as 
terrorists. Otuunu denies ever being a member or supporter 
of the LRA. He does claim a Qlong standing relationship 
(covert and overt) between the Museveni regime and the LRA 
leadership.Q He also calls for the immediate dismantling of 
all QconcentrationQ camps in the North. 
 
¶18.  (U) The Daily Monitor published an editorial on May 30 
that was strongly supportive of President MuseveniQs sharp 
reaction to Vincent OttiQs comments on Sky TV that the LRA 
would resume war if the ICC indictments were not dropped. 
Under the headline QPresident Museveni Right About the 
LRA,Q the Monitor called the LRA position Qexasperating.Q 
The paper noted that QAll people of goodwill have against 
their moral conscience chosen peace and sacrificed justice 
in the name of ending Q the conflict.Q  It added that QIf 
the rebels do not see the wisdom in the Juba process, then 
as the President correctly puts it, they will surely 
perish.Q 
 
¶19.  (U) The Uganda Conflict Action Network posted a 
statement to its website announcing that the new U.S.-based 
Resolve Uganda NGO is committed to Qpressuring U.S. 
political officialsQ to engage more publicly and 
Qadvocating for increased international engagement and 
renewed investment in the ongoing peace process.Q  The 
statement quotes Resolve Uganda Executive Director Michael 
Poffenberger: QResolve Uganda is working with members of 
the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives to press 
President Bush to send a senior-level diplomat to Juba. "By 
sending a senior diplomat to Juba, the U.S. could bring 
much-needed attention to the talks, and be available to 
help at the discretion of the mediator. We are not at all 
advocating for a U.S. takeover of the negotiations, but 
think that the U.S. should be doing more to see that the 
African leadership has all the resources and respect it 
needs to bring the parties to an agreement." 
 
¶20.  (U) Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board writer 
Carolyn Davis will be coming to Uganda on June 5, 
accompanying a 16-year-old northern Ugandan burn victim who 
received treatment in the U.S. (the LRA set fire to her 
familyQs home while she was in it). The Inquirer plans to 
do a series of articles and website posts about Jennifer 
AnyayoQs journey home to Uganda, and Davis will be 
QbloggingQ about it. 
CHRITTON