Cablegate: Request for Regular Reporting On Lord's
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