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INFO RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 0769
RUCNIAD/IGAD COLLECTIVE
RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 0041
RUEHTO/AMEMBASSY MAPUTO 0519
RUEHSA/AMEMBASSY PRETORIA 3528
RHMFIUU/CJTF HOA

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 05 KAMPALA 000120 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPARTMENT PASS TO USAID AND OFDA 
 
E.O. 12958:  N/A 
TAGS: PHUM PREF ASEC EAID UG SU CG
SUBJECT:  NORTHERN UGANDA NOTES (JANUARY 1-31, 2009) 
 
REF: A. KAMPALA 113 B. KAMPALA 116 C. KAMPALA 94 
 
KAMPALA 00000120  001.2 OF 005 
 
 
¶1.  Summary:  The following Northern Uganda Notes provide 
information on the situation on the ground and USG activities aimed 
at meeting Mission 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.  Joint military operations against the Lord's Resistance Army 
(LRA) in northeastern Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) continued. 
LRA spokesperson David Matsanga traveled to Maputo on January 4 with 
a letter for UN Special Envoy for LRA-Affected Areas Joachim 
Chissano.  Matsanga appealed for a ceasefire in the ongoing military 
offensive against the LRA.  He claimed that Kony wanted the peace 
negotiations re-opened.  Meanwhile, there were unconfirmed reports 
that the LRA High Command had dismissed Matsanga and his deputy, 
Justine Labeja. 
 
¶3.  On January 13, Gulu Archbishop John Baptist Odama, an Acholi 
religious leader, called on the governments of Southern Sudan, DRC 
and Uganda to stop the offensive against the LRA rebels.  He argued 
that the war was costly and many innocent people were being killed. 
He appealed to the allied governments to consider returning to the 
peace talks. 
 
¶4.  The UN Security Council (UNSC) issued a statement on January 16 
strongly condemning the recent LRA attacks on Congolese civilians, 
which have resulted in over 500 deaths, 400 abductions, and the 
displacement of 104,000 people.  The UNSC expressed grave concern at 
the scale of these atrocities and emphasized that those responsible 
must be brought to justice.  The UNSC reiterated its call for the 
LRA to cease its attacks, recruitment and use of children, and to 
release all women, children and non-combatants.  It expressed 
disappointment that its previous calls have not been heeded.  The 
UNSC urged the LRA to surrender, assemble, and disarm, as required 
by the Final Peace Agreement (FPA). 
 
¶5.  Uganda's Amnesty Commission granted amnesty to Major Johnson 
Okello (a.k.a Dennis Okiror) and Lt. Col. Silva Ochora (a.k.a Ray 
Achama) on January 22.   The two were former members of the 
Cessation of Hostility Monitoring Team for the LRA. 
 
¶6.  USG Activities: Ambassador Browning and P/E Chief met with the 
Acholi Parliamentary Group on January 9.  The parliamentarians 
raised concerns about the protection of civilians during the 
military operations against the LRA. The APG was disappointed in the 
PRDP delay but had recommended a postponement because it was not yet 
implementable in a coherent, accountable manner (ref A). 
 
¶7.  Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa and Chief of Defense Forces Aronda 
Nyakairima briefed the diplomatic corps on January 23.  Ambassador 
Browning attended.  Nyakairima announced a three-week extension of 
joint military operations against the LRA.  The extension was agreed 
to during Nyakairima's meeting with the Congolese Chief of General 
Staff, Lt. General Didier Etumba, in Dungu on January 18-19.  They 
agreed to review the progress of the operation at the end of 21 
days.   Nyakairima told the diplomatic corps that the LRA had used 
the peace process to re-organize, recruit, and replenish their 
supplies.  Nyakairima appealed to the UN Mission in Congo (MONUC) to 
assist in rapid response through logistics support for Congolese 
troops deploying to protect threatened civilian populations. 
 
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SECURITY UPDATE 
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¶8.  The joint military operation, "Operation Lightning Thunder 
(OLT)," continued with close cooperation between allied forces from 
DRC, Uganda, and southern Sudan.  On January 9, the allied countries 
agreed to reinforce the mission.  On January 12, the Government of 
Central African Republic (CAR) announced that it would reinforce 
troops on the DRC border to prevent the LRA from escaping into its 
territory (ref B). 
 
¶9.  The LRA continued to suffer losses of fighters and equipment. 
On January 2, the Ugandan forces captured two LRA rebel commanders, 
James Onen and Peter Okot, and rescued eight Congolese captives. On 
 
KAMPALA 00000120  002.2 OF 005 
 
 
January 13, the UPDF captured two LRA rebels during an ambush in 
Doruma.  On January 19, the UPDF killed three LRA fighters during an 
exchange of fire north of Doruma.  On January 22, OLT Joint Task 
Force Commander Brigadier General Patrick Kankiriho said the joint 
military forces killed nine LRA fighters and captured one during 
another engagement.   On January 23, the UPDF reported that it 
killed 22 LRA rebels and rescued 11 captives during battles between 
January 18 and 22. 
 
¶10.  AFP reported that LRA deputy Okot Odhiambo told them that he 
had defected.  He claimed that he had broken away from LRA leader 
Joseph Kony and that he was negotiating with the International 
Organization for Migration (IOM).  Odhiambo said he was badly 
injured and did not want to continue in the bush. 
 
¶11.  The LRA continued to attack civilians.  On January 2, LRA 
rebels attacked Garamba National Park headquarters.  United Nations 
High Commission for Refugees (UNHCR) reported 80 women were raped 
and 160 children abducted and 225 people displaced from Faradje, DRC 
in December.  From January 1-9, the LRA abducted 13 people and 
burned houses in Mundri west, DRC, according to local officials.  On 
January 7, the LRA killed four people including a police officer, 
abducted 10 others, and looted property when they attacked Bangolo. 
The LRA killed six Congolese including a soldier when they attacked 
Sambia on January 11.  Fifteen civilians were killed on January 9 in 
Kana.  The rebels reportedly killed five civilians and injured six 
others in Tora Town.  Human Rights Watch reported that the LRA 
killed 300 people in Doruma during a massacre at Christmas (ref C). 
 
¶12.  On January 19, HRW reported that LRA rebels executed 16 
Sudanese civilians, who had been abducted in a separate attack in 
south Sudan.  Also on January 19, LRA rebels reportedly killed the 
Chief of Bamani in Ibba County in western Equatoria state.  On 
January 20, LRA fighters killed two people including Chief Gordon 
Jalal Ngirimo of the Azande tribe and abducted two children during 
an attack in South Sudan.  On January 22, the local residents vowed 
to form self-defense groups to counter the LRA. 
 
¶13.  USG Activities: P/E Chief and DATT met with HRW analysts who 
had just returned from a three-week visit to Doruma, Duru, and 
Faradje (ref C).  The HRW team estimates that the LRA killed 800 
people and abducted 460 children between September and December 
¶2008.  LRA attacks in September and October in the Dungu area were 
likely in retaliation against local communities for assisting LRA 
defectors.  In December, the LRA's brutal attacks against civilians 
deepened civilian resentment and made it more difficult for 
surrendering LRA or escapees to make it to safety. 
 
¶14.  On January 16, Under Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs 
and Emergency Relief Coordinator, John Holmes, briefed the UNSC on 
the situation in northeastern DRC.  Holmes said that the situation 
had deteriorated following the failure of LRA leader Kony to sign 
the FPA.  Holmes pointed out that LRA rebels had committed 
atrocities in south Sudan, DRC and CAR.  He urged the LRA to cease 
hostilities, sign the FPA, begin assembly and demobilization without 
delay, and immediately release all abductees, particularly women and 
children.  He reminded Uganda, Congolese, and southern Sudanese 
military forces to conduct their operations in strict compliance 
with international humanitarian law.  He urged them to take all 
feasible precautions to spare civilians from the effects of 
hostilities, including non-combatant women and children who are 
among the LRA fighters.  Holmes stated that he would visit the DRC, 
including Dungu and Faradje, to see the situation at first hand in 
February. 
 
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HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND ECONOMIC RECOVERY 
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¶15.  The Government of Uganda (GOU) announced delay in the 
implementation of the Peace, Recovery, and Development Plan (PRDP), 
its framework for the rehabilitation and recovery in war ravaged 
northern Uganda (ref A).  In a letter dated December 22, 2008, Prime 
Minister Nsibambi informed donors that the implementation of the 
PRDP would begin in July 2009.  The Prime Minister reluctantly took 
this step after northern parliamentarians raised concerns about the 
capacity of the government to deliver planned projects and ensure 
accountability within the current PRDP structure.  Northern 
politicians requested the delay and commended the Prime Minister for 
his honest appraisal of the PRDP's shortcomings.  Some, however, 
used the opportunity to criticize the Government for lacking the 
political will to assist marginalized northerners.  Government 
officials are fully aware of the political ramifications of their 
decision, but stated that "getting it right" was more important than 
 
KAMPALA 00000120  003.2 OF 005 
 
 
rushing forward and not being able to deliver critically needed 
services.  The delay does not affect ongoing U.S. Government 
programs supporting PRDP priority sectors in health, education, 
agricultural, and infrastructure. 
 
¶16.  In response to negative media reports, the Government issued a 
press statement on January 9 saying it had not suspended the PRDP. 
The GOU explained that the Ministry of Finance, line ministries, the 
districts, and the Prime Minister's Office (PMO) struggled with the 
challenge of disaggregating additional resources from normal 
budgetary allocations.  Nsibambi stated that between January and 
July, PRDP activities within the districts would be prioritized for 
full-scale implementation beginning in July 2009.  During this 
period, each ministry will submit its procurement plan to the PMO 
and strategies for measurable indicators would be developed and made 
available to all stakeholders.  The statement also outlined 
activities under the PRDP framework including road construction, 
resettlement programs, provision of tractors to open up land, and 
electrification projects and ongoing donor programs.  These included 
$163 million in development assistance from the U.S. Government, 
$100 million from the World Bank, and substantial contributions from 
Denmark, The Netherlands, and the European Union. 
 
¶17.  The PMO gave each district work plans to disaggregate PRDP 
funding requests by priority sector and to determine if the requests 
are in addition to the current budget allocation.  The PMO 
established an office in Gulu, which will oversee PRDP 
implementation and provide assistance to district governments.  The 
districts and ministries will provide the PMO with quarterly 
performance reports to determine whether the GOU is getting value 
for its money.  The GOU promised to release funds in a timely matter 
to the ministries and district accounting officers. 
 
¶18.  USG Activities: In January, USAID's Office of Transition 
Initiatives (OTI) approved three new grants to rehabilitate a 
borehole, a health center, and staff housing for health workers in 
Gulu District.  To date, OTI has approved 37 grants for $1.5 
million.  On January 22, the USAID Northern Uganda Advisor attended 
the inauguration of U.S.-funded grain storage facilities in Lalogi 
sub-county, Gulu District.  On January 30, Mission personnel 
attended the final day of an OTI dance competition that had been 
organized in all 11 sub-counties in Gulu District.  The purpose of 
this grant is to promote peace and reconciliation through the use of 
dance to help reinforce Acholi traditions and culture.  Each 
sub-county held dance competitions between three to five dance 
groups, with the winners participating in final competitions at Pece 
Peace Memorial Stadium in Gulu.  First prize included two oxen and 
plows for the dancers' communities.  Bicycles and radios were given 
to other participants. 
 
¶19.  The USAID Mission Director hosted all USAID partner 
organizations working in the region to the first of its quarterly 
meetings for 2009.  Over 40 representatives working in all sectors 
attended.  The Mission Director laid out USAID's plans to revise the 
country strategy and strategic approach for the north as well as his 
vision for achieving greater synergy between USAID programs in the 
north.  He also visited the Amuru/Alero Primary School, where OTI is 
rehabilitating classrooms, a kitchen, latrines and eight teachers' 
living quarters.  Completion is slated for mid to late February. 
 
¶20.  Mrs. Browning and P/E Chief visited several USG-funded projects 
in Lira.  At Otino-Waa Children's Village in Lira on January 29, 
Mrs. Browning toured the newly finished beekeeping facility and 
inspected the orphanage's connection to the electrical grid.  Both 
projects received USG funding.  The President's Emergency Program 
for HIV/AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) funded the beekeeping facility and the 
Ambassador's Self-Help Fund supported the electricity project. 
These projects provide income-generating opportunities for 200 
children at the orphanage and some 20,000 families in the 
surrounding community.  The community has been deeply affected by 
both HIV/AIDS and the LRA conflict. 
 
¶21.  The team met with Angelina Atim of Concerned Parents 
Association, an effective non-governmental organization that formed 
in response to LRA abductions in the north.  Atim, whose human 
rights work has received significant international recognition, said 
that 24 of the 30 "Aboke Girls" who were abducted from their 
boarding school in 1996 are back.  Atim reported that three of the 
former abductees were now pursuing university-level studies, two of 
whom were studying medicine.  Atim said that the resumption of 
normal life in Lira has helped victims continue with their recovery 
from the psychological trauma of their experiences.  However, she 
stated that more counseling and assistance should be provided to 
both victims and other members of society to overcome the affects of 
 
KAMPALA 00000120  004.2 OF 005 
 
 
the conflict.  The conflict's social impact can be seen in the high 
rate of alcoholism, teenage street children, and increased child 
prostitution.  She and other concerned parents are planning a 
program called "Community Bridge" to address these and other social 
consequences of the war.  The project would also use truth-telling 
and other forms of reconciliation to help heal the trauma of the 
war. 
 
¶22.  On January 30, Lira District Chairman Franco Ojur told P/E 
Chief and Mrs. Browning that restoration of an effective educational 
system is his highest priority.  He said that reconstruction of 
schools, latrine facilities, and teacher housing are critical.  He 
expressed appreciation for USG-funded projects in the north.  Ojur 
said that the local population in Lira is supportive of the joint 
military operation, but remain focused on day-to-day  life.  The 
harvest was disappointing due to poor rainfall. 
 
¶23.  P/E Chief and Mrs. Browning also visited U.S. Department of 
Labor-funded program to combat child labor on January 20.  Over the 
past three years, Kenya-Uganda-Rwanda-Ethiopia-Together (KURET) 
Program to End Child Labor (KURET) provided assistance to over 5,000 
children at risk for the worst forms of child labor in Lira and 
Dokolo Districts.  The KURET program also created child labor 
committees to identify working children and put them in school.  The 
program led to the creation of local by-laws to penalize employers 
and parents who exploit children for their labor.  A new three-year 
program, Livelihood Education and Protection to End Child Labor 
(LEAP) implemented by the International Rescue Committee (IRC) is 
removing 11,000 children from hazardous work and will improve 
schools in locations near sites known for employing children, 
providing an indirect benefit to the entire community. 
 
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FROM THE MEDIA AND THE WEB 
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¶24.  Media reports in January continue to focus on the joint attack 
on the LRA bases in the DRC.  One opinion piece described the role 
of the UN in the attack and another ponders what might happen if the 
attack does not prove successful.  Another opinion piece supported 
the attack, while HRW continues to emphasize civilian protection. 
 
¶25.  The January 5 edition of the government-owned daily, "The New 
Vision" ran a piece by UPDF spokesman Major Paddy Ankunda.  In the 
article, "The UN Played a Key Role in Kony Attacks," Ankunda 
disagreed with those who think that the joint attack on the LRA 
bases was unnecessary and that peace talks should continue.  He said 
that the two-and-a-half years of talks produced a FPA, which Kony 
has refused to sign and so it may not be wise to continue with the 
talks amidst continued violence by the LRA.  According to Ankunda, 
this concern comes out clearly in the UN Security Council's December 
22 Presidential Statement, which "strongly condemned the attacks by 
the LRA in the DRC and southern Sudan."  He cited the Council's 
support for a joint military operation launched by the DRC, Uganda 
and southern Sudan to flush the LRA out of the DRC and quoted from 
the statement, "We reaffirm that ending impunity is essential for a 
society recovering from conflict to come to terms with past abuses 
committed against civilians and to prevent their recurrence."  Based 
on this, Ankunda wrote that for anybody to try to discredit the 
joint military action against the LRA is to run away from the 
popular will that is supported by the international community. 
 
¶26.  On January 11, Presidential Advisor on Northern Uganda, Richard 
Todwong, wrote an article for the government daily "The New Vision" 
entitled, "Acholi MPs Should Stop Adoring Kony."  According to 
Todwong, the reaction of some parliamentarians to the joint military 
attack on the LRA showed that some of them are "true Kony 
apologists" whose double standards prove that some of them could be 
Kony's real political wing and that the views they have expressed 
are the total opposite of the majority feelings in Acholi. 
According to Todwong, many people in Acholi supported the attack and 
were hoping for firm assurance from the Government that, this time, 
Kony will be history.  The members of parliament, however, are 
creating fear in internally-displaced persons camps and even causing 
those who had resettled in their homes to return to the camps.  They 
have also not condemned Kony's refusal to sign the FPA.  Todwong 
concluded that the MPs are using the attack to mobilize political 
support. 
 
¶27. On January 22, weekly political magazine "The Independent" ran a 
column, "What if the Next UPDF Offensive Does Not Smoke Out LRA," by 
guest columnist Peter Otika.  He argued that while many 
pro-government and war-hungry agitators say the LRA refused to sign 
the FPA, prompting the government to attack them, they stop short of 
 
KAMPALA 00000120  005.2 OF 005 
 
 
mentioning that President Museveni has not signed it either.  He 
asked whether there should be another phase of war just because 
someone did not sign a "piece of paper."  According to him, people 
in northern Uganda have been left to choose between which is worse, 
instead of which is better.  To them, for justice to be done, both 
the LRA and UPDF should be put on trial.  He argues that it is 
everyone's responsibility to reject war and promote peace, to keep 
the army out of the presidency and, instead, demand democratic, 
accountable leadership. 
 
¶28.  In an open letter to the African Union Chairman Jean Ping on 
January 22, the HRW said that the African Union (AU) should attach 
top priority to civilian protection and bringing human rights 
abusers to justice.  Released before the AU summit, which will take 
place from January 26 to February 3 in Addis Ababa, the letter 
analyzes the human rights crises in Somalia, Zimbabwe, the DRC, 
Sudan, and Guinea and points out that the horrific killings carried 
out by the LRA in Orientale province highlight again the inadequacy 
of international, local, and regional efforts to protect civilians. 
Georgette Gagnon, Africa Director at HRW, noted that the 
International Criminal Court (ICC) has already issued an arrest 
warrant for senior LRA leaders and said that the AU should demand 
that they be apprehended and handed over. 
 
¶29.  On January 25, the East African (regional weekly) published an 
opinion piece, "It's Time to Stop This Rebel Nuisance," by freelance 
journalist Chege Mbitiru.  He wrote that four African nations (DRC, 
Rwanda, Uganda and the Government of southern Sudan) are engaged in 
unprecedented military offensives against undesirable elements that 
are fighting for dubious causes.  According to Mbitiru, the LRA 
would be comical, were it not for its atrocities, and is a voodoo 
outfit.  However, reports of progress against the LRA remain scant. 
In fact, Mbitiru said, Ugandan legislators are grumbling and want 
information and detailed financial information because Uganda is the 
leading partner in the offensive.  He argued that to Uganda, the LRA 
is currently not even a nuisance, but the rebels cannot be allowed 
to regroup after Kony's refusal to sign a peace agreement.  He 
disagreed with those who argue the offensive sets a precedent for 
potentially stifling dissent. "These arguments are invalid," he 
wrote. "Uganda...has enticed Kony's outfit with enough carrots to 
constipate.  It's time for big sticks." 
BROWNING