VZCZCXRO6542
RR RUEHGI RUEHRN RUEHROV
DE RUEHKM #0968/01 1570352
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 060352Z JUN 07
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 8880
INFO RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0589
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 0407
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 3274
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KAMPALA 000968 
 
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 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. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
PEACE AND RECONCILIATION PROCESSES 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶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 USAID's 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 Uganda's 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 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 
 
KAMPALA 00000968  002 OF 003 
 
 
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. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - 
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. 
 
¶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. 
 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
IN THE MEDIA AND THE WEB 
- - - - - - - - - - - - - 
 
¶17.  (U) The May 25 Daily Monitor published an "Open Letter to the 
LRA" by Olara Otuunu, former U.N. Undersecretary for Children and 
Armed Conflict and Acholi critic of the GOU. Otuunu accuses the LRA 
 
KAMPALA 00000968  003 OF 003 
 
 
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 
"long standing relationship (covert and overt) between the Museveni 
regime and the LRA leadership." He also calls for the immediate 
dismantling of all "concentration" camps in the North. 
 
¶18.  (U) The Daily Monitor published an editorial on May 30 that was 
strongly supportive of President Museveni's sharp reaction to 
Vincent Otti's comments on Sky TV that the LRA would resume war if 
the ICC indictments were not dropped.  Under the headline "President 
Museveni Right About the LRA," the Monitor called the LRA position 
"exasperating."  The paper noted that "All people of goodwill have 
against their moral conscience chosen peace and sacrificed justice 
in the name of ending ... the conflict."  It added that "If the 
rebels do not see the wisdom in the Juba process, then as the 
President correctly puts it, they will surely perish." 
 
¶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 "pressuring U.S. political officials" to engage more 
publicly and "advocating for increased international engagement and 
renewed investment in the ongoing peace process."  The statement 
quotes Resolve Uganda Executive Director Michael Poffenberger: 
"Resolve 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 family's home while she was in it). The Inquirer 
plans to do a series of articles and website posts about Jennifer 
Anyayo's journey home to Uganda, and Davis will be "blogging" about 
it. 
CHRITTON