Citation
UNITED NATIONS, April 21 (Reuter) - Secretary-General Boutros
Boutros-Ghali recommended Thursday that the Security Council either
increase U.N. forces in Rwanda by several thousand or reduce them to
about 270.
But Security Council members said privately that the force, originally
2,500, would probably be cut to 270 with a provision for an early
review in case a cease-fire is established in the country's bloody
civil war.
In a report to the council, Boutros-Ghali also gave a third option of
completely withdrawing the U.N. Assistance Mission For Rwanda, known as
UNAMIR, but rejected it outright. The council is expected to work on a
resolution late Thursday with a view to adopting it Friday, diplomats
said.
Boutros-Ghali said the council had the option of a massive
reinforcement of UNAMIR
and a change in its mandate so it would be
equipped to coerce combatants into a ceasefire.
He said Rwanda's U.N. ambassador as well as Ugandan President Yoweri
Museweni had urged him to maintain a large operation and that he would
attempt to recruit troops from the region.
But the alternative the council is considering would leave the force
commander and staff in Kigali to act as an intermediatory between the
warring Hutu and Tutsi groups and help resume relief operations. This
would involve an infantry company to provide security as well as some
military observers and civilian staff for a total of about 270.
(c) Reuters Limited 1994
