VZCZCXRO1960
RR RUEHROV
DE RUEHKM #0602/01 1211226
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 301226Z APR 08
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 0279
INFO RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 03 KAMPALA 000602 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR PM/WRA STEPHANIE PICO 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PARM PGOV PHUM KDEM UG
SUBJECT: GOU WELCOMES GREATER USG ENGAGEMENT ON SMALL ARMS 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary: Illicit small arms/light weapons (SA/LW) 
proliferation in Uganda stems from numerous post-independence 
conflicts, regional arms trafficking, leakage from state-owned 
stockpiles, and to a lesser degree from illicit manufacturing.  In 
response, the GOU, with UNDP and donor assistance, established the 
National Focal Point on SA/LW (NFP) in 2001 and released an 
ambitious five-year National Action Plan on SA/LW (NAP) in 2005.  To 
date, the GOU has carried out numerous arms and munitions 
destructions, workshops and awareness campaigns, and drafted a 
national firearms policy and corresponding proposed amendments to 
existing laws.  A number of NAP targets were not met due to resource 
constraints, inadequate training and issue awareness, and lack of 
high-level political engagement across GOU agencies.  Greater USG 
support for SA/LW control and disarmament could help the GOU better 
meet NAP targets through support for conventional weapons 
destruction, stockpile management, border control, and cross-border 
anti-trafficking initiatives.  End Summary. 
 
------------------------------------------- 
Background: National Focal Point Has A Plan 
------------------------------------------- 
 
¶2.  (U) The GOU established the National Focal Point (NFP) on Small 
Arms and Light Weapons in 2001 to coordinate activities to prevent, 
combat, and eradicate the illicit possession and trade in SA/LW. 
The NFP is under the authority of Minister of Internal Affairs 
Ruhakana Rugunda and is headed by Samuel Ruvuma.  (Note: Former 
coordinator Richard Nabudere departed in early 2008 to work for the 
non-governmental organization SaferWorld.  End Note.)  Nabudere 
reported in 2007 that the source of SA/LW proliferation in Uganda 
derived from four areas: (1) weapons distributed, abandoned, or 
cached during the country's post-independence conflicts; (2) arms 
trafficked from neighboring countries (Sudan, Democratic Republic of 
Congo, and Somalia and Ethiopia thru Kenya); (3) leakage from 
state-owned armories mainly in conflict afflicted areas; and (4) 
illicit manufacturing. 
 
¶3.  (U) The NFP, with the help of SaferAfrica and SaferWorld, 
drafted and launched the GOU's 2004-2009 National Action Plan on 
Small Arms and Light Weapons (NAP) in September 2005.  The five-year 
plan sought to provide a framework of activities to address SA/LW 
proliferation.  The plan contains the following ten focus areas: 
 
--National Bodies and Agencies: Ensure that the national and 
regional agencies responsible for implementation of the NAP are set 
up and have the necessary resources, authority, and skills to ensure 
that the NAP is effectively implemented.  Establish Regional Task 
Forces (RTFs). 
 
--Policy Legislation: Formulate a national policy on firearms, 
ammunition, and explosives.  Revise existing legislation, 
regulations, and administrative procedures on small arms control in 
line with the new policy.  Ensure effective implementation of passed 
legislation, including training. 
 
--Stockpile Management: Develop and implement an organizational 
structure, regulations, and procedures for the Central Firearms 
Registry (CFR). Conduct national stocktaking operation of all SA/LW, 
including civilian and state-owned firearms, on the national 
register to establish database.  Identify, collect, pool, 
administer, and destroy all surplus, seized, captured, and 
voluntarily surrendered stock. 
 
--Public Education: Develop and implement a national awareness and 
education program to curb proliferation, reduce demand, and promote 
responsible management of SA/LW. 
 
--International and Regional Cooperation: Develop and implement 
required policy, regulation, and administrative procedures to 
facilitate information exchange nationally, sub-regionally, and 
internationally.  Undertake joint planning and operations with 
neighboring countries to reduce arms trafficking, demand for arms, 
and criminal activities in border areas. 
 
--Border Control and Refugees: Expand and utilize computerized 
movement control systems, including search and detection equipment 
at all ports of entry.  Develop a refugee management policy, create 
interagency coordination mechanisms to share information, enhance 
responses to refugee crises and assist with the management of human 
security in and around refugee camps and the reduction of arms 
availability. 
 
--Human Development Planning: Develop and implement programs to 
address demand for arms in affected communities, to include cattle 
rustling, urban crime, and other socioeconomic push factors, 
especially along parts of the Kenya-Uganda and Uganda-DRC borders. 
Strengthen police-community relations and develop and implement 
community-based policing. Tie NAP to pre-existing development and 
SA/LW programs and projects (i.e. the Peace Recovery and Development 
Plan for Northern Uganda and the Karamoja Integrated Disarmament and 
 
KAMPALA 00000602  002 OF 003 
 
 
Development Program). 
 
--Training and Capacity Building: Develop and implement 
comprehensive training programs to establish capacity for 
implementation of international and regional agreements, 
declarations, protocols, and the NAP. Train RTFs and civil society. 
 
--Research: Develop and fund action orientated research programs. 
Assess law enforcement environment in affected areas. 
 
--Critical Areas of Support: Identify critical areas where law 
enforcement agencies need support to address SA/LW proliferation. 
Greater staff, technical equipment, and improved facilities were 
noteworthy requirements. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
NAP Implementation Slow; Political Will Growing 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶4.  (SBU) NFP Advocacy Officer Joe Burua told PolOff that the NFP 
had been slow in implementing its plan and admitted that many of the 
goals would likely be carried over to the follow-on plan.  Burua 
said that a lack of understanding of the nature of the issue and how 
to meet international obligations, limited resources, and NFP 
capacity hindered NAP implementation.  He reported that final 
revisions were being made to the National Firearms Policy and the 
corresponding amendments to the 1970 National Firearms Act that 
would give the NFP the legal mandate necessary to be more effective 
moving forward.  Internal Affairs Minister Ruhakana Rugunda was very 
interested in moving this issue forward, Burua noted.  He thought 
that the amendments could be considered by Parliament as early as 
June 2008.  Other NFP successes include establishment of the 
Regional Task Forces in each of Uganda's police administration 
regions, a number of workshops with military officials, police, and 
other actors, and public awareness campaigns. 
 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
UNDP And Donors Supportive of GOU SA/LW Efforts 
--------------------------------------------- -- 
 
¶5.  (U) UNDP Crisis Prevention and Recovery (CPR) Unit Program 
Specialist Jose Manzano told PolOff that the UNDP provided support 
for technical and coordination capacity and policy formulation 
through the NFP office; the national civilian weapons registration 
regime and comprehensive MIS system of firearms in Uganda; stockpile 
management and destruction of surplus arms and ammunition; advocacy 
and awareness raising on SA/LW; and cross-border dialogue.  The UNDP 
funded a month-long destruction in October-November 2007 of over 460 
tons of decommissioned, unserviceable, obsolete and seized 
ammunition and explosives, which culminated in a public awareness 
ceremony to highlight efforts.  Prior to that, UNDP supported the 
July 2007 destruction of over 34,000 small arms ammunition recovered 
by Police in Mpigi District and the destruction by smelting of 
57,000 SA/LW in 2006. 
 
¶6.  (SBU) Manzano agreed that the NFP had been slow in implementing 
the NAP, and suggested that the quality and motivation of the NFP 
staff hindered more aggressive action.  He said that UNDP-CPR 
originally funded three positions in the NFP, but that two officials 
departed out of frustration over the lack of NAP progress.  The 
third, Advocacy Officer Joe Burua, remained.  He called the 
departure of former NFP Coordinator Richard Nabudere a "real 
setback."  Manzano noted, however, that some progress had been made 
and that the development of the National Firearms Policy and 
corresponding amendments to the Firearms Act would help move the NAP 
forward. 
 
¶7.  (U) Dutch First Secretary and Legal Sector Advisor Esther 
Loeffen confirmed to PolOff that the Netherlands Government will 
provide 500,000 euros per fiscal year to support the NFP's 
implementation of the NAP.  The Dutch funds would also support 
weapons collection programs in northern Uganda, Karamoja, and 
Kampala.  Loeffen, who is the chair of the Justice Law and Order 
Sector Donor Coordination Group, will hold a meeting on May 13 to 
discuss donor support for the NFP and NAP implementation. 
 
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Comment 
------- 
 
¶8.  (SBU) The GOU, despite the many issues that hinder 
implementation of the NAP, considers SA/LW proliferation a threat to 
national and regional security, and is particularly concerned that 
arms will continue to fall into the hands of insurgents or criminals 
active in the East African region.  Local weapons buy-back 
initiatives such as the program initiated by Gulu Resident District 
Commissioner Walter Ochora, although continued funding is lacking, 
are also examples of GOU commitment.  USG engagement and leadership 
in the area of weapons destruction, stockpile management, border 
control and detection, and regional anti-trafficking would be 
 
KAMPALA 00000602  003 OF 003 
 
 
welcomed by the GOU, and support the Mission's primary goal in 
Uganda of supporting regional peace and security.  The U.S. 
maintains a strong relationship with the Ugandan military and may be 
well positioned to engage on sensitive stockpile management issues 
such as Man-Portable Air Defense Systems (MANPADS). 
BROWNING