US embassy cable - 05KINSHASA1770

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 KINSHASA 001770 
 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/24/2015 
TAGS: PGOV, PREL, KPKO, CG, UG 
SUBJECT: DRC, UGANDA AGREE TO COORDINATED PATROLS AGAINST 
LRA ELEMENTS 
 
REF: STATE 195476 
 
Classified By: PolOff CBrown, reasons 1.4 b/d. 
 
1. (C) Summary. In a joint communique following an October 18 
bilateral meeting, the GDRC and the GOU agreed to coordinate 
their patrols against suspected Lord's Resistance Army (LRA) 
forces operating in DRC. Such efforts are to be conducted 
within each country's respective borders, as neither side 
agreed to have the other's armed forces cross the border. 
Despite this agreement, tensions between GDRC and GOU 
representatives are still evident. In addition, MONUC will be 
increasing its troop presence in Aba to deal with the LRA. 
End Summary. 
 
2. (C) PolOff spoke October 21 with Lt. Col. Alex Baring, 
Senior Military Adviser to MONUC's Force Commander, regarding 
the joint communique. Baring said the announced cooperation 
was established to deal specifically with LRA forces in the 
DRC and would operate separately from other joint DRC-Uganda 
verification missions. Ugandan representatives reportedly 
said they were not ready to participate in the missions 
immediately, so the operations have been postponed until the 
following week. Baring said the Ugandans did not explain if 
the delay was due to logistical or political concerns. We 
will follow and report on when these missions begin. 
 
3. (C) Baring said teams would conduct coordinated efforts on 
each side of the border and each country would remain within 
its own territory. Moreover, the coordination would consist 
only of the sharing of intelligence, not joint or coordinated 
military operations. Baring said the idea of joint 
DRC-Ugandan operational patrols was a non-starter for the 
Armed Forces of the Democratic Republic of Congo (FARDC), and 
would not be considered. FARDC representatives added during 
the meeting it would be unacceptable for Ugandan troops to 
act on DRC territory in any manner. 
 
4. (C) MONUC Force Commander Lt. Gen. Babacar Gaye told the 
Ambassador October 24 that the possibility of joint 
reconnaissance missions had been considered, similar to those 
already conducted by the DRC/Ugandan joint verification 
mechanism agreement in place. Any encounter with LRA forces, 
however, could easily result in an exchange of fire, making 
almost any mission in the area a potential operational 
mission. For the GDRC, the idea of UPDF troops entering into 
active fire operations inside DRC territory is a problem. 
Therefore the deal that was struck and announced limits the 
concept to operational coordination, with respective forces 
staying on opposite sides of the border. 
 
5. (C) There is presently a sizable contingent of FARDC 
troops near the DRC-Sudan border to search out LRA forces. 
MONUC is still moving FARDC troops to Aba. Gen Gaye, however, 
told the Ambassador that only a few elements remain in Aru, 
and that the FARDC has close to two full battalions already 
in place in the Aba area. (Note: MONUC's mandate restricts 
its forces to DRC territory, thereby prohibiting it from 
sending troops into Sudan. End note.) 
 
6. (C) Gaye also told Ambassador that MONUC is taking several 
steps with regard to the LRA issue. Gaye said MONUC will have 
military observers stationed full-time in Aru. Presently, the 
observers are based in Aru and go back and forth between the 
two locations. Gaye said he wants the observers in Aba to 
stay. Gaye told Ambassador MONUC also wants to send an air 
controller to Aba to assist with air support operations. In 
addition, MONUC now plans to establish refueling capabilities 
in Aba so air operations originating there can have 
operational capacity into the Garamba Park area. (Note: The 
operational range with fuel from Aru means MONUC helicopters 
at best have a very restricted operational capability as far 
as Garamba Park. End note.) Gaye also said MONUC will be 
sending two MONUC companies to Aba, and has encouraged FARDC 
Chief of Staff Lt. Gen. Kisempia to travel to the area. Gaye 
said he would accompany Kisempia, or more likely Kisempia's 
number two as his designated representative, to Aba as soon 
as possible. MONUC is pressing the GDRC for confirmation so 
that the travel can take place ASAP. In response to the 
Ambassador's questions, Gaye declined providing a specific 
deployment timetable for the various MONUC deiployments, but 
did say that he is pressing to get them done as quickly as 
possible. Both Gaye and SRSG Bill Swing in an earlier 
telephone conversation confirmed to the Ambassador that they 
were aware of reports that Otti has crossed back into DRC 
territory, but indicated that they did not yet have any 
confirmation of this. 
 
7. (C) On the issue of Ituri, the communique stated a need 
for MONUC to develop adequate aerial and marine surveillance 
to help prevent cross-border incursions. Baring said that 
proposal was dismissed by MONUC as "rather fanciful," since 
MONUC has limited intelligence collection assets and is 
already hard-pressed to provide adequate logistics and 
security support for the DRC election preparations now 
underway. 
 
8. (C) Baring added that Ugandan representatives also accused 
the FARDC of recently providing logistical support and food 
to LRA forces reportedly in DRC. Such assistance, Uganda 
claimed, was aimed at encouraging the LRA to leave DRC 
territory. According to Baring, the FARDC strongly denied the 
allegations. 
 
9. (C) Baring said the bilateral talks between DRC and Uganda 
went well, as demonstrated by the communique's description of 
the meeting as "free, frank and cordial." He added, however, 
that such cooperation was only possible because of MONUC's 
presence as a facilitator during the meetings. Otherwise, 
Baring said, there would not have been much progress between 
the two sides had they been left to their own devices. 
 
10. (C) Comment: Despite the agreements reached between DRC 
and Uganda in this bilateral meeting, the suspected presence 
of LRA forces in the DRC contributes to the tension between 
the two countries, especially since Kampala does not see the 
FARDC to be taking adequate measures against the LRA. The 
GDRC and MONUC are aware of reports that LRA leader Vincent 
Otti has crossed back into DRC, but neither has any specific 
location information at this point. In addition, allegations 
by Uganda of outright FARDC assistance to the LRA only serve 
to raise suspicions on the DRC side, thereby making them less 
willing to work jointly with the Ugandans. While the measures 
announced in the joint communique are a positive development, 
it is unlikely any agreement could have been reached without 
the presence at the meeting of MONUC. End Comment. 
MEECE