VZCZCXRO9658
RR RUEHGI
DE RUEHC #8217/01 3202214
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 162209Z NOV 09
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO RUEHDS/AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA 8705
RUEHGI/AMEMBASSY BANGUI 1495
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 6660
RUEHKH/AMEMBASSY KHARTOUM 8554
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0692
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 3824
RUEHNJ/AMEMBASSY NDJAMENA 5067
INFO RUEHLO/AMEMBASSY LONDON 7824
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 7217
RUEHGV/USMISSION GENEVA 0249
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS
RHEFDIA/DIA WASHINGTON DC
RUEAIIA/CIA WASHINGTON DC
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 8681

UNCLAS SECTION 01 OF 02 STATE 118217 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREF PGOV PHUM PREL MOPS CG UG SU CT
SUBJECT: REQUEST FOR REGULAR REPORTING ON LORD'S 
RESISTANCE ARMY 
 
REF: STATE 87508 
 
KHARTOUM PLS PASS JUBA 
KINSHASA PLS PASS GOMA 
GENEVA FOR RMA 
ADDIS FOR REFCOORD 
KAMPALA FOR REFCOORD 
NDJAMENA FOR REFCOORD 
NAIROBI FOR USAID 
 
¶1. (U) This is an action request.  Please see paras 3 and 4. 
 
¶2. (U) As operations to pursue and destroy the Lord's 
Resistance Army (LRA) continue, an unfortunate side effect is 
the widening geographic area in which marauding small groups 
of LRA attack and prey on civilians for resupply of 
sustenance and soldiers.  For example, the DRCongolese 
refugee outflow and internal displacement owing to LRA 
attacks now affect at least four countries that engage four 
U.S. embassies, three USAID Missions, field staff of 
USAID/DCHA/OFDA including in Nairobi, and all three of 
State/PRM's regional refugee coordinators (based in Addis, 
Kampala, and Ndjamena).  One of the challenges to mounting an 
effective civilian protection strategy across multiple 
countries is that of coordinated information gathering and 
sharing.  This is made even more complicated by the inability 
of some posts (Bangui, Goma, Juba) to send and receive 
classified information. 
 
¶3.  (U) An Interagency Policy Committee (IPC) on the LRA was 
held on November 3, 2009.  Among the IPC conclusions was the 
need for more systematic reporting from posts in/covering 
LRA-affected countries to better inform USG efforts to 
develop and maintain a civilian protection strategy and 
address ongoing humanitarian consequences of LRA attacks and 
related abuses.  Addressee posts are thus requested to 
provide regular (preferably monthly) updates on activities of 
the LRA, following the template in para 3.  Posts should aim 
to provide updates by the end of each month. It is to be 
expected that information available from different field 
posts may differ even when describing the same situation.  An 
interagency working group in Washington will endeavor to 
synthesize and report back to all addressees a regular update 
on protecting civilians.  Addressees should copy all of the 
other addressees on their messages to further the information 
sharing goal. And in view of the inability of some posts to 
send/receive classified information, please keep reporting to 
the unclassified/SBU level to the extent possible. 
Classified responses should be sent by separate cable. 
 
¶4. (U) Posts are requested to provide responses to the 
following questions, noting the source of information and any 
contradictions: 
 
LRA Attacks 
----------- 
 
-- How many LRA attacks have occurred during the reporting 
period? 
-- How many deaths, casualties, rapes, and abductions due to 
LRA attacks have been reported? 
-- Where have the attacks occurred? 
-- What are estimated numbers of LRA combatants and 
non-combatants and in what location? 
-- Have LRA movements been reported?  To/from where? 
-- Are other forces in the area that might be responsible for 
attacks which are attributed (perhaps wrongly) to the LRA? 
 
LRA-Affected Populations 
------------------------ 
 
-- How many internally-displaced persons (IDPs) and refugees 
have been displaced by LRA and related operations against the 
LRA since September 2008 (for first report)?  Since last 
update?  (Note. Generally, IDP information will come from 
 
STATE 00118217  002 OF 002 
 
 
USAID officers and refugee information from State.) 
-- What is the location of refugee/displaced populations? 
-- What is the expected time-line for displaced populations 
to return home?  Have some populations already returned? 
(Are displaced populations static or moving frequently?) 
 
Security Response 
----------------- 
 
-- What host government actions have been taken against LRA 
forces?  UN (including peacekeeping operations) actions? 
UPDF?  Other (e.g., auto-defense forces?) 
-- Have any cross-border coordination efforts taken place 
between these forces/agencies? 
-- What are the effects on civilians of operations against 
the LRA? Have there been reports of human rights abuses by 
security forces responding in LRA-affected areas? 
-- Has information sharing and coordination by national 
militaries with the UN been sufficient to allow proactive 
civilian protection efforts by peacekeepers? 
-- What are future plans for anti-LRA operations and/or 
civilian protection efforts by these forces/agencies? 
-- Have UN peacekeeping operations effectively conditioned 
support to national militaries on their respect for human 
rights, or does such support continue despite reports of 
human rights abuses by those militaries against civilians? 
 
Humanitarian Response 
--------------------- 
 
-- Which host-government agencies, UN agencies, 
non-governmental organizations (NGOs), community-based 
organizations, etc. are responding to humanitarian needs 
in LRA affected areas? 
-- Please describe humanitarian operations/activities 
currently underway in support of LRA-affected populations. 
-- Please describe coordination of these efforts.  E.g., 
is OCHA coordinating?  Host-government?  Are there regular 
protection cluster meetings focusing on LRA-affected areas? 
Is there adequate information sharing among NGOs on the 
ground, UN peacekeepers and national militaries involved in 
operations against the LRA? 
-- What are the current humanitarian gaps in LRA-affected 
areas? 
-- Have there been attacks on NGOs/humanitarian groups, and 
if so how has this impacted efforts to respond to 
humanitarian needs in LRA-affected areas? 
 
Other 
----- 
 
-- Please report on any other relevant developments/concerns 
related to the LRA not covered above. 
CLINTON