VZCZCXRO0918
PP RUEHBZ RUEHDU RUEHMR RUEHPA RUEHRN RUEHTRO
DE RUEHDS #0280/01 0420521
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
P 110521Z FEB 10
FM AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7717
INFO RUEHZO/AFRICAN UNION COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
RUEHBS/USEU BRUSSELS PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/SECDEF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RHEHAAA/NSC WASHDC PRIORITY
RUEKJCS/JOINT STAFF WASHINGTON DC PRIORITY
RUZEFAA/HQ USAFRICOM STUTTGART GE PRIORITY
RUEPADJ/CJTF HOA PRIORITY
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY 8054

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 03 ADDIS ABABA 000280 
 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/FO, AF/RSA, AF/C, AF/E, IO/UNP, S-USSE 
NSC FOR MGAVIN 
LONDON FOR PLORD 
PARIS FOR WBAIN 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 02/06/2020 
TAGS: MARR PGOV PREL AU
SUBJECT: AU SUMMIT: MUSEVENI'S MUSINGS ON AFRICAN 
CONFLICTS, FAMILY VALUES 
 
Classified By: Ambassador Michael Battle for reasons 1.4 (b) and (d). 
 
This message is from USAU Ambassador Michael A. Battle. 
 
¶1. (U) January 31, 2010; 5:00 p.m.; Addis Ababa, Ethiopia 
 
¶2. (U) Participants: 
 
U.S. 
Under Secretary Maria Otero 
Assistant Secretary Johnnie Carson 
NSC Senior Africa Advisor Michelle Gavin 
Special Envoy Scott Gration 
Special Advisor Howard Wolpe 
Deputy Special Advisor Jim Yellin 
USAU Ambassador Michael Battle 
USAU Military Advisor Ellington (notetaker) 
 
Uganda 
President Yoweri Museveni 
Foreign Minister Sam Kutesa 
 
¶3. (C) Summary. In a free-ranging conversation on the margins 
of the African Union (AU) Summit in Addis Ababa, Ugandan 
President Museveni told the American delegation that while 
the situation in Sudan is worrisome, it is not without hope. 
He advised that issues like border demarcation and wealth 
distribution be addressed immediately, given the likelihood 
of the South becoming independent, and offered regional 
assistance in building southern capacity in governance and 
development.  On Kenya's Jubaland Initiative in Southern 
Somalia, Museveni questioned Kenya's bush-fighting 
credentials and the ideological commitment of its Somali 
proxies.  He advised the West to pay and develop Transitional 
Federal Government (TFG) fighters rather than the much more 
expensive and less effective options of funding international 
peacekeepers and counterpiracy operations.  He pledged 
continued regional oversight of Burundi's peace process as it 
approaches elections this year, and promised that no Ugandan 
would be executed for homosexual behavior.  End Summary. 
 
Sudan: "I want to see that general . . ." 
----------------------------------------- 
 
¶4. (C) In a meeting with the USG delegation, Uganda President 
Yoweri Museveni discussed a range of regional developments. 
On Sudan, he characterized Uganda as a "lonely frontline 
state," having been abandoned in its support of the Sudan 
People's Liberation Movement (SPLM) by Ethiopia and Eritrea. 
Museveni thanked General Gration for touching base with him 
on Sudan, and welcomed Gration's proposed visit to Uganda. 
 
¶5. (C) Museveni reported that Government of South Sudan 
(GOSS) President Salva Kiir is "worried." Museveni indicated 
that southern independence was highly likely and advised that 
contentious issues like border demarcation and wealth 
distribution must be addressed immediately.  Museveni 
welcomed Gration's pledge that the USG will respect and 
support the South's decision on independence.  Whether or not 
the referendum results in southern independence, Museveni 
said that South Sudan must develop economically.  The 
Intergovernmental Authority on Development (IGAD) should play 
a vital role in South Sudan's development, he said, just as 
IGAD had birthed the Comprehensive Peace Agreement at 
Naivasha. Museveni agreed that South Sudan lacks technical 
capacity, but suggested that Uganda and other neighbors have 
qualified and underemployed technocrats and bureaucrats who 
could help South Sudan govern and develop.  Already, Uganda 
has many teachers working in South Sudan, said Museveni. 
 
Somalia: Kenya's Jubaland Initiative 
------------------------------------ 
 
¶6. (U) A/S Carson thanked Museveni for the sacrifices Uganda 
continues to make in support of the African Union Mission in 
Somalia (AMISOM), acknowledging that the TFG's success is due 
in large part to Uganda's protection.  Carson applauded 
Uganda's training initiative for TFG troops and committed to 
support the deployment of its fourth battalion. 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000280  002 OF 003 
 
 
 
"Freedom fighters, not employees" 
--------------------------------- 
 
¶7. (C) Responding to Carson's question about Kenya's proposed 
Jubaland Initiative, Museveni acknowledged the operational 
value of seizing Kismayo and, more broadly, denying 
al-Shabaab's access to sea and airports. However, Museveni 
questioned the capacity of the Kenyans to manage such an 
offensive, as well as the ideological commitment of the 
Somali proxy forces.  Fighting, said Museveni, is foremost 
ideological, especially in a stateless conflict.  The Armed 
Forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo face a similar 
challenge, said Museveni.  Their problem is that they are not 
fighting for a cause.  Would Somali fighters participating in 
the Jubaland Initiative be a liberation movement or an 
extension of the Kenyan Army?  Museveni characterized the 
Kenyan Armed Forces as a "career army," questioning their 
liberation credentials and wondering about their ability to 
sustain bush fighters.  "Is Kenya used to fighting like this? 
 Would Kenya be able to provide logistical support to its 
Somali allies?" 
 
¶8. (C) Carson wondered if Somali fighters sponsored by Kenya 
would be loyal to the TFG, or switch allegiances to the Ahlus 
Sunnah wal Jammah (ASWJ) or another group.  Carson told 
Museveni that the Ethiopian government originally had 
concerns that a Kenyan-sponsored Somali force might 
eventually shift its support to the Oromo National Liberation 
Front (ONLF), but that Prime Minister Meles now seemed 
comfortable there are control measures to preclude such a 
force from meddling in the Ogaden. 
 
Shabaab vs. AMISOM 
------------------ 
 
¶9. (C) Museveni expressed hope in the fact that almost four 
years hence the extremists still have not organized 
themselves.  Despite all the time and space, the Shabaab's 
structure and capacity remain weak.  They don't have deep 
roots, said Museveni.  They are gunmen only.  Carson 
countered saying that Shabaab's destructive nature had 
nonetheless transformed a local problem into a regional and 
international one, citing refugee flows, rampant piracy, and 
safe haven for violent Islamic extremism.  Museveni stated 
that this situation is reversible, and that with sufficient 
military force al-Shabaab can be driven from the major towns 
in south-central Somalia where they would wither in the 
countryside. 
 
¶10. (C) Carson said the USG would continue to help build 
AMISOM's capacity, and saluted Djibouti's recent troop 
contribution. He solicited Museveni's assistance in getting 
more African governments to pledge peacekeepers, and stated 
that the USG is encouraging the AU and its partners to raise 
AMISOM troop allowances to UN standards. 
 
¶11. (C) Museveni pushed back saying that the international 
community's money would be better spent on training and 
paying the Somali National Armed Forces (SNAF) for a year. 
It's cheaper than the UN, said Museveni.  Plus, the Somalis 
would eventually develop more ideological commitment to 
liberation than would an international force.  In the 
meantime, the TFG must be able to pay its fighters until they 
can galvanize ideologically. "How much are you spending on 
ships which don't control piracy?" Spend that money instead 
on developing a SNAF of 20,000 personnel, concentrating on 
small unit leadership.  Solve the problems on the land and 
the piracy issue will go away, said Museveni. 
 
 
Burundi 
------- 
 
¶13. (C) Wolpe commended Museveni's shepherding of the Burundi 
peace process over the years, but warned of a void in 
international oversight of the peace process with the 
dismissal of Head of United Nations Integrated Office in 
Burundi (BINUB) Youssef Mahmoud and the withdrawal of the 
 
ADDIS ABAB 00000280  003 OF 003 
 
 
South African protection mission. Wolpe also identified the 
need for a facilitation mechanism should intervention be 
required during the election period.  Wolpe suggested that 
the East African Community (EAC) might be able to partner 
with Burundi in establishing such a framework.  On the 
positive side, Burundian President Nkurunziza wants the 
maximum amount of international observers for the elections 
as early as he can get them. 
 
¶14. (U) Museveni admitted that he had not been closely 
following events in Burundi, but promised to follow up 
saying, "we'll ensure there are no problems."  Museveni 
identified police training as critical in the run-up to the 
elections. 
 
African Family Values 
--------------------- 
 
¶15. (U) Carson expressed gratitude that Museveni had tamped 
down the tensions surrounding Uganda's draft 
anti-homosexuality bill.  Both Carson and Otero encouraged 
Museveni to pursue decriminalization and destigmatization of 
homosexuality.  Museveni warned outsiders of pushing Africa 
too hard on this issue, lest it create another hurricane, and 
lectured on African family values.  He assured the USG 
delegation that nobody in Uganda would be executed for 
homosexual behavior, but explained that in the African 
context homosexuality is a disorder and not something to be 
promoted or celebrated.  Don't push it, warned Museveni, 
"I'll handle it." 
 
Comment 
------- 
 
¶16. (U) Museveni was confident, amiable, and entirely lucid, 
if not verbose at times. The exchange was quintessentially 
Museveni as he wove wit, wisdom, scripture, and at times 
gentle chastisement into his analysis of the region's 
security challenges.  Featuring prominently were several of 
his standard themes, like the danger of Islamic extremism 
penetrating Black Africa and Uganda's prominent role as a 
frontline state, as well as the critical role of subregional 
organizations in addressing problems and lessons in 
liberation theology. 
 
¶17. (U) A/S Carson has cleared this cable. 
YATES