US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA1559

C O N F I D E N T I A L KINSHASA 001559 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 09/23/2015 
TAGS: PREL, KPKO, MARR, PGOV, CG, UG 
SUBJECT: LRA UPDATE: MONUC/FARDC MISSION LIKELY THIS WEEKEND 
 
REF: A. (A) KINSHASA 1532 
 
     B. (B) KINSHASA 1519 
 
Classified By: PolCouns MSanderson, reasons 1.4 b/d. 
 
1. (C)  Sixth regional military commander General Padiri 
continued September 22 to insist to LRA that the GDRC is 
prepared to assist with and accept only unconditional 
surrender.  He told MONUC that he is negotiating, as of 
yesterday, directly with Kony (in Sudan) via satphone, as 
well as with Colonel Otti in Aba. FARDC noted only 288 armed 
elements in sight yesterday, with about 18 civilians, and 
expressed concern that LRA may be starting to disperse, 
particularly as they already are now in two sites, a 
"headquarters" about 11 kms north of Aba and a "civilian base 
camp" about 4 kms from the village.  Padiri is not yet in Aba. 
 
2. (C)  Now that it has successfully prepositioned fuel in 
Aru, MONUC will send 2-3 aircraft over the weekend (Saturday, 
Sunday or Monday) to Aba, weather permitting. The mission 
will be accompanied by an MI-25 for protection and 
deterrence.  General Padiri, representatives from UNHCR and 
MONUC's DDRRR (repatriation of foreign combatants) unit will 
comprise the mission. MONUC Force Commander is going 
September 23 to Kampala to speak personally with Ugandan army 
chief of staff, following up on a diplomatic note dated 
September 20 from the Ugandan COS which MONUC received 
September 22.  The gist of the note is as follows: 
 
"Uganda has the honor to refer to the current security 
situation as regards the presence in Congolese territory of 
the terrorist group Lord's Resistance Army, 50 of whose 
members crossed into Congolese territory unimpeded from Sudan 
on September 13, after attacking helpless civilians in Loka 
and Yei in Uganda.  On September 19, following the successful 
initial entry, another 50 terrorists also entered into the 
DRC, and all are now in the Garamba Park.  The presence there 
of these terrorist elements unacceptably heightens the 
already existing threat to Ugandan national security posed by 
the presence in Congolese territory of the ADF..." 
 
The Ugandans requested urgent consultations with MONUC at any 
convenient location, hence the visit today to Kampala.  If 
the Force Commander is back in time he might join the mission 
to Aba as well. 
 
3. (C)  MONUC is also trying to confirm reports of 2-3 
Ugandan brigades (roughly 10,000 men) on the Ugandan side of 
the Uganda-Congo border.  MONUC chief of staff noted that, if 
indeed these troops are there, it would be somewhat odd since 
it would have been difficult for Uganda to have transported 
them there in just the two days since the reported LRA entry 
into the DRC. 
 
4. (C)  Comment:  If Congolese suspicions that the LRA are 
spreading out are true, it is worrisome on several counts. A 
flashpoint certain to ignite Ugandan military response would 
be any sort of cross-border attack at the moment, whether by 
the LRA or ADF.  It is not impossible that some LRA elements 
might have been dispatched to seek out ADF sites (which are 
not far from the Aba/Aru area).  MONUC is aware of this risk 
and, once actually present in Aba, will try to contain the 
LRA in their present locations while talks continue. 
MEECE