Citation
VATICAN CITY, April 7 (Reuter) - Pope John Paul expressed his
condolences on Thursday over the killing of the presidents of Rwanda
and Burundi in a rocket attack that destroyed their plane.
May the Lord welcome in his kingdom the victims of the drama in Kigali
and support the Burundi and Rwandan families who are mourning the loss
of their loved ones,
the Pope said in telegrams to the families of the
two Central African leaders.
Presidents Cyprien Ntaryamira of Burundi and Juvental Habyarimana of
Rwanda were killed on Wednesday when a rocket hit their plane on its
approach to the Rwandan capital on their return from a peace summit in
Tanzania.
The Pope will open an unprecedented synod on Africa at the Vatican on
Sunday to discuss the problems of the world's poorest continent, which
has 95 million Roman Catholics including six million in Rwanda and
Burundi.
(c) Reuters Limited 1994
