LRA had talk schedule, Ugandan spy tells ICC

Kampala.

An operative attached to the Internal Security Organisation (ISO) told the International Criminal Court (ICC) last Friday that the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA) rebels communicated at least six times a day at the height of their atrocities in northern Uganda.

International Justice Monitor says the security operative particulars were concealed as he testified at the ongoing trial of former LRA commander Dominic Ongwen. The witness, who is a radio communicator interceptor for ISO, was identified as P-059.

International Justice Monitor is a project of the Open Society Justice Initiative and uses law to protect and empower people around the world.

The witness, P-059, told the ICC that the LRA rebels would call at 9am; 11am; 1pm; 3pm, 4pm and 5pm. On some occasions, the LRA communicated at 6pm and if there was an operation, they would also communicate at night.

Further in his testimony, the witness told court that he had been intercepting the LRA radio communication for 17 years. He said, he slept in the same room where he monitored and recorded LRA radio communications but added that since 2011, there has been minimal radio communication between the rebel commanders including their leader Joseph Kony.

P-059 further told court that he made draft notes of the radio conversations, focusing on any communication connected with LRA attacks.

Translation of the conversation
He said the conversations were in Acholi, which he understands and that he would write in English a clean version of his notes on a separate paper and then transfer that information to a notebook, which served as a logbook of the calls monitored.

He said the information in the notebook also catalogued the corresponding cassettes on which the intercepts were recorded.

“You told us that you sound-recorded the LRA communications. Why did you do this?” asked prosecution lawyer, Julien Elderfield.
“This was done for record purposes. It was to be used as reference in the future, and if the need arose it was to be presented to a court, such as this one. Thirdly, my office instructed us to keep records,” P-059 answered.

The charges
Ongwen faces 70 counts of war crimes and crimes against humanity for his alleged role as LRA commander during the two-decade insurgency in northern Uganda that left about 1.5 million civilians internally displaced, about 20,000 adducted and thousands killed.
It is alleged that between 2003 and 2004 Ongwen coordinated or participated in attacks on Pajule, Odek, Abok, and Lukodi camps for internally displaced people in Acholi, the epicentre of the insurgency.

Ongwen is also accused of forcibly marrying seven girls and committed sexual crimes against them.

Explaining the core purpose of the communication interception, the witness said the State wanted to know the LRA plans so that the security agencies could find solutions or ways to protect the country and the citizens.

Also in his testimony, P-059 described to the court his routine duties particularly from 2002 to 2005. He said during this period, his work schedules were dominated by routine radio calls of the LRA.

P-059 identified a sketch of the compound and building where he works and photographs of the building.

ISO personnel involved
However, he said these were not shown to the public. He named all the ISO personnel he worked with in Gulu District in northern Uganda and in the capital Kampala, explaining their roles in the radio calls interception programme.

“Of all these people, including you, who was the main interceptor of communications, LRA communications?” asked Elderfield.

In response, P059 said: “The main interceptor of LRA communication is the one who sits and listens to the radio, and that would be me who is before you now.”

The witness further revealed that the rebels used code sheets known by the acronym “TONFAS” to keep their sensitive information secret while speaking on radio.
TONFAS is an acronym for “Time, Operator, Nicknames, Frequency, Address, Security.”

P-059 said the Ugandan military seized some TONFAS code sheets during battle with the LRA.
His testimony continues today.