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O 301014Z DEC 08
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 1025
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE IMMEDIATE
RUEHUJA/AMEMBASSY ABUJA IMMEDIATE 0101
RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA IMMEDIATE 1855
RUEHAS/AMEMBASSY ALGIERS IMMEDIATE 0042
RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA IMMEDIATE 1201
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI IMMEDIATE 7174

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 KAMPALA 001665 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
STATE PASS TO AF/RSA MSKARDON 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KPKO UG ET BU SO
SUBJECT: UGANDA RESPONSE TO DEMARCHE: SOMALIA - REINFORCING 
AMISOM 
 
REF: A) SECSTATE 134421 B) SCANLON EMAIL 12/30/08 
 
 ¶1. (SBU) Summary:  The Ambassador met with Ugandan Minister 
of Defense Crispus Kiyonga on December 29 to deliver reftel 
points and obtain an understanding of Uganda's ability to 
deploy an additional battalion of troops to the current 
African Union Mission in Somalia (AMISOM).  DATT also met 
with the Chief of Land Forces for the Ugandan People's 
Defense Forces.  Officials indicated that Uganda is eager to 
deploy additional units to Somalia, but that armored vehicles 
are a prerequisite.  Also, Uganda will not deploy without a 
thorough understanding of the African Union's funding stream, 
demonstrating that troop salaries and other funding will be 
provided in a more timely manner than in the past.  End 
Summary. 
 
¶2. (SBU) The Ambassador and Poloff met with Ugandan Minister 
of Defense Crispus Kiyonga to deliver the points in ref A on 
December 29.  The Joint Chief of Staff (JCS) of the Ugandan 
Peoples' Defense Forces (UPDF), Brigadier General Robert 
Rusoke, also attended the meeting.  After hearing reftel 
points, Minister Kiyonga responded that the U.S. offer for 
transport and equipment is "excellent news," but that Uganda 
does have constraints making immediate deployment impossible 
before certain equipment and funding requirements are met. 
 
¶3. (SBU) First, Kiyonga said, both the current battle group 
and future additional battalion need new vehicles, 
specifically troop carriers and armored vehicles.  The 
previous battle group deployed with their own vehicles but 
these need to be repaired and any additional Ugandan units 
would also need armored vehicles.  According to Kiyonga, 
Uganda cannot supply new vehicles itself because the Defense 
Ministry obtained Parliamentary authorization for the 
original deployment on the condition that it would be budget 
neutral, i.e., would not incur any additional costs to the 
Uganda national budget.  Minister Kiyonga stated that Uganda 
was "flexible" on the list of equipment beyond the vehicles, 
however, and committed to providing Post a list of items as 
soon as possible.  (Note:  UPDF officials state the list will 
be ready by Friday, and we will review it with them.  End 
note.) 
 
¶4. (SBU) Second, the Government of Uganda (GOU) needs to 
obtain a stronger commitment from the African Union (AU) 
regarding its financial support for the deployment.  Uganda 
wishes to see the AU's exact budget and funding stream for 
the $67 million estimated three-month extension of the 
current mission to confirm that the funds for equipment and 
salaries will be forthcoming as planned.  Kiyonga explained 
that the AU has not met past financial commitments, by, for 
example, not paying salaries to the Ugandan Battle Group 
(UGABAG-3) from September to date.  Though Uganda has 
received a commitment that the September to November salaries 
will be paid shortly, it still does not know when December 
will be paid.  "The financial situation remains unclear," 
Kiyonga said. "We are ready to put in a battalion but we need 
to be sure they will have equipment and that it will be 
possible to maintain them."  He stated that Uganda would be 
willing to make an arrangement along the lines of the one 
used by the UK and Burundi, by which the UK paid Burundian 
soldiers directly. 
 
¶5. (SBU) Other UPDF officers provided further details about 
the parameters of a future Ugandan deployment.   In a meeting 
with DATT, Commander of the UPDF Land Forces Lieutenant 
General Edward Katumba Wamala noted that Uganda would need a 
minimum of 10 days after a political decision to deploy has 
been made in order to identify an appropriate battalion, a 
process complicated by the UPDF's current operations in the 
Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC).  Wamala stated he would 
put together a list of equipment to be submitted to Post by 
Friday, January 2.  Wamala also stated that current vehicles 
in Mogadishu could be repaired to a limited extent, and 
committed to undertaking a full assessment in coordination 
with a Dyncorps contractor. 
 
¶6. (SBU) Meanwhile, Uganda is moving forward with its 
planning, Minister Kiyonga stated.  Minister Kiyonga and UPDF 
Chief of Defense Forces (CDF) General Aronda Nyakairima will 
travel to Bujumbura as soon as possible to coordinate with 
Burundi next steps and assess the impact of the Ethiopian 
withdrawal from Somalia.  Thereafter, the two Ugandans plan 
 
KAMPALA 00001665  002 OF 002 
 
 
to travel to Addis Ababa to meet with African Union 
officials.  According to JCS Rusoke, the timing and pace of 
any future deployment will be determined after these meetings. 
 
¶7. (SBU) JCS Rusoke advised the Ambassador on December 30 
that Uganda could possibly deploy smaller, company-sized 
units, but tht the vehicle requirements still remain.  He 
stressed that Uganda would be in a better position to discuss 
future deployment after Minister of Defense Kiyonga and CDF 
Aronda complete their consultations in Burundi and Ethiopia. 
 
¶8. (SBU) Comment:  The GOU's attitude toward a deployment is 
encouraging, but it is clear that a deployment cannot occur 
by January 5.  Uganda's current operation in the DRC against 
the Lord's Resistance Army is occupying the attention of 
officials and stretching UPDF equipment and manpower.  Aside 
from this, in the meetings it was clear that the GOU trusts 
the U.S. commitment for equipment much more than it trusts an 
AU commitment to pay salaries and provide other support, 
which could cause significant complications should the AU 
prove unable to give Uganda the type of commitment or 
planning details it needs.  On the issue of vehicles, there 
may be a small amount of flexibility because officials are 
not yet speaking with one voice.  While Minister Kiyonga and 
JCS Rusoke state the vehicles are an absolute prerequisite 
for deployment, Wamala stated that Uganda can deploy if 10 
CASSPIR fighting vehicles follow the deployment within 10 or 
15 days.  Post will be meeting with the UPDF to discuss the 
list of equipment needs on January 2 and will follow up with 
details at that time.  Minister Kiyonga agreed to meet with 
the Ambassador after he returns from his trips to Burundi and 
Ethiopia.  End Comment. 
BROWNING