VZCZCXYZ0000
RR RUEHWEB
DE RUEHKM #1359 3371343
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 031343Z DEC 09
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 1994
UNCLAS KAMPALA 001359
SENSITIVE
SIPDIS
DEPT FOR IO-RHS AND DRL-IRF
E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA UG
SUBJECT: UGANDA: DEMARCHE RESPONSE - DEFAMATION OF
RELIGIONS UNGA VOTE
REF: STATE 122637
(SBU) Poloff Delivered reftel points urging Uganda to abstain
on the UNGA Defamation of Religions vote to the Ministry of
Foreign Affairs' Multilateral Affairs Officer Isaac Sebulime
on December 1. Sebulime said that Uganda, as an OIC member,
would support the resolution. Poloff noted that several OIC
members have abstained on the resolution in the past, that
the four other East African Community (EAC) members always
abstain and that general support for the resolution has
diminished over the years. Sebulime said the EAC does not
coordinate on this resolution, and that it is in Uganda's
interest to support OIC-sponsored resolutions. Sebulime said
that Uganda sees the resolution as neither helpful nor
harmful to the Ugandan context, but understands that OIC
countries believe the resolution is necessary to limit
hateful, violence-inciting speech that denigrates religions.
LANIER