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392ED5 071656Z /38
O 071654Z APR 94
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA IMMEDIATE
SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4373
AMEMBASSY KIGALI IMMEDIATE
INFO AMEMBASSY CAIRO IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY MAPUTO PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY HARARE PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 01 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 002147
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E.O. 12356: OADR
TAGS: PREL, PINS, AMGT, ASEC, OAU, TZ, RW, BY,
SUBJECT: TANZANIA REQUESTS U.S. ASSISTANCE IN
KIGALI AND EXPLAINS ITS POSITION
IN RWANDA AND BURUNDI
REF: A) 94 DAR ES SALAAM 02145
B) 94 DAR ES SALAAM 02146
1. CONFIDENTIAL ENTIRE TEXT.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: ARCHIE M BOLSTER
DATE/CASE ID: 06 MAY 2011 201005065
E 4 00
UNCLASSIFIED
2. SUMMARY. TANZANIA BELIEVES THE SITUATION
IN KIGALI IS SUFFICIENTLY DANGEROUS TO REQUEST
USG ASSISTANCE IN EVACUATING ITS CITIZENS. THE
DEATH OF THE TWO PRESIDENTS IS NO REASON TO SET
ASIDE THE JOINT RESOLUTIONS CONTAINED IN THE
REGIONAL SUMMIT COMMUNIQUE. THE STATUS QUO IN
RWANDA AND BURUNDI IS UNACCEPTABLE; THEIR
NEIGHBORS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAVE
A DUTY TO HELP THEM RESOLVE THEIR CRISES. THE
BEST HOPE FOR A SOLUTION IN BURUNDI IS A 200
PERSON OAU FORCE. END SUMMARY.
REQUEST FOR ASSISTANCE
3. MOFA PRINCIPLE SECRETARY IBRAHIM MSABAHA
REQUESTED AN URGENT MEETING WITH CHARGE AT 1600
(LOCAL) TODAY (THURSDAY, APRIL 7) TO "APPEAL
FOR U.S. ASSISTANCE" IN THE PROTECTION OF
TANZANIAN CITIZENS IN KIGALI. BECAUSE OF HEAVY
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LOSS OF LIFE IN THE RWANDAN CAPITAL, MSABAHA
ASKED FOR HELP IN TRANSPORTING TANZANIAN
EMBASSY EMPLOYEES AND THEIR FAMILY MEMBERS FROM
THEIR RESIDENCES IN KIGALI TO THEIR
AMBASSADOR'S RESIDENCE. HE FURTHER REQUESTED
THAT TANZANIAN CITIZENS BE INCLUDED IN ANY
EVACUATION OF US CITIZENS FROM RWANDA BY THE
TANZANIA HAS NO MISSION IN BUJUMBURA AND
USG.
MSABAHA SOUGHT NO ASSISTANCE IN THAT COUNTRY.
4. I EXPLAINED TO MSABAHA THAT THE US ALWAYS
SOUGHT EVACUATION BY COMMERCIAL OR PRIVATE
MEANS IF POSSIBLE; WHEN AN EVACUATION APPEARED
NECESSARY WE ENCOURAGED OUR CITIZENS TO LEAVE
AS SOON AS FEASIBLE. I FURTHER EXPLAINED THAT
THE SMALL EMBASSY IN KIGALI HAD NO RESOURCES
AVAILABLE TO MOVE PEOPLE FROM ONE LOCATION TO
ANOTHER. OUR POLICY WAS GENERALLY TO STAY PUT
WHEN CONDITIONS WERE UNSAFE. TO MY SUGGESTION
THAT UNAMIR WAS A MORE LIKELY SOURCE OF
TRANSPORT AND PROTECTION, HE SAID THAT HE WAS
UNABLE TO CONTACT UNAMIR. I AGREED TO RELAY
HIS REQUEST TO WASHINGTON AND KIGALI AND ADVISE
HIM AS SOON AS AN ANSWER WAS RECEIVED.
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
5. WHEN I EXPRESSED SURPRISE THAT THE SECURITY
SITUATION IN KAGALI HAD DETERIORATED SO QUICKLY
TO THE POINT OF CONSIDERING EVACUATION, MSABAHA
EXPLAINED THAT HE HAD RECEIVED NOT TEN MINUTES
EARLIER A TELEPHONED REPORT FROM HIS CHARGE IN
KIGALI. (THE AMBASSADOR IS STILL IN DAR ES
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SALAAM, HAVING ATTENDED THE SUMMIT.) THE
TANZANIAN CHARGE REPORTED THAT:
-- THE MINISTER OF LABOR AND SOCIAL WELFARE AND
HIS FAMILY HAD BEEN KILLED;
-- THE PRIME MINISTER MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED;
-- THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD IS ON A RAMPAGE IN
THE CAPITAL; AND,
- - THIRTEEN BELGIAN TROOPS IN UNAMIR HAD BEEN
KILLED.
6. MSABAHA APOLOGIZED THAT, AS OF LATE THAT
AFTERNOON, THERE WAS STILL NO READ OUT ON THE
THE EMERGENCY CABINET MEETING CALLED TO REVIEW
THE SITUATIONS IN RWANDA AND BURUNDI. HE THEN
LAID OUT IN A CLEAR AND AUTHORITATIVE MANNER
TANZANIA'S CURRENT THINKING ON THE CRISES. THE
LOSS OF THE TWO PRESIDENTS WAS A GREAT TRAGEDY
RESULTING IN A LEADERSHIP VACUUM IN BOTH
COUNTRIES. YESTERDAY THE GOT CONSIDERED
BURUNDI THE LARGER PROBLEM BECAUSE, UJLIKE
RWANDA WHERE A FRAMEWORK FOR RESOLUTION
EXISTED, IN BURUNDI THERE WAS "NOT EVEN A
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ACTION AF-01
INFO LOG-00
EUR-01
NEA-01
P-01
ASDS-01
CIAE-00 C-01
H-01
HA-09
NSAE-00 NSCE-00
SP-00
SNP-00
/020W
PMB-00
OASY-00 DODE-00
TEDE-00 INR-00
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393035 071706Z /38
O 071654Z APR 94 ZDK
FM AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
TO AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA IMMEDIATE
SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4374
AMEMBASSY KIGALI IMMEDIATE
INFO AMEMBASSY CAIRO IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY LONDON PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY LUSAKA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY MAPUTO PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY HARARE PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 02 OF 02 DAR ES SALAAM 002147
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E.O. 12356: OADR
TAGS: PREL, PINS, AMGT, ASEC, OAU, TZ, RW, BY,
SUBJECT: TANZANIA REQUESTS U.S. ASSISTANCE IN
KIGALI AND EXPLAINS ITS POSITION
IN RWANDA AND BURUNDI
NOTION OF A FRAMEWORK" FOR RESOLUTION. TOAY
THE SITUATION WAS CRITICAL IN BOTH COUNTRIES.
HOW THE CRISES WERE PERCEIVED WAS KEY TO HOW
THE SITUATIONS WOULD EVOLV
E. WOULD THE CRASH
BE CONSIDERED AN ACCIDENT OR DELIBERATE? IF
UNCLASSIFIED
THE SAME HUTU/TUTSI "DICHOTOMY" PREVAILED,
TANZANIA BELIEVED CARNAGE WOULD RESULT.
7. THE RESOLUTIONS IN THE SUMMIT COMMUNIQUE
(REF B) HELD THE KEY TO CONFLICT RESOLUTION IN
BOTH COUNTRIES, PRIMARILY THE OAU "CONFIDENCE
BUILDING FORCE" BACKED BY NEIGHBORING STATES.
WITH THE MILITARIES KILLING THEIR OWN CITIZENS
AND WAVES OF REFUGEES POURING ACROSS THE
BORDERS, BURUNDI AND RWANDA COULD NOT EXPECT
THEIR NEIGHBORS TO SIT IDLY BY. "THE CONFLICTS
MAY BE INTERNAL, BUT THE CONSEQUENCES EFFECT US
ALL." THE STATUS QUO WAS UNACCEPTABLE, MSABAHA
EMPHASIZED.
8. WHEN ASKED TO CONFIRM THAT THE CONFIDENCE
BUILDING FORCE REFERRED ONLY TO THE FORCE OF
47, MSABAHA REPLIED THAT IT WAS THE FIRST
STEP. HOWEVER, THE COMMUNIQUE CONTAINED A
"CLEAR IMPLICATION FOR EXPANSION" TO A FORCE OF
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200 OR "EVEN A BIT MORE" IF NECESSARY. THE
BURUNDI MILITARY HAD AGREED TO ONLY THE FORCE
OF 47, I REMINDED MSABAHA. TANZANIA EXPECTED
TO DESPATCH THE TEAM OF REGIONAL FOREIGN
MINISTERS (REF B, PARA 3), WHEN THE SITUATION
WAS CLEARER, TO CONVINCE THE BURUNDI MILITARY
TO ACCEPT THE LARGER CONFIDENCE BUILDING
FORCE.
9. I EMPHASIZED THAT THE 200 PERSON FORCE
WOULD BE MUCH MORE INTRUSIVE THAN THE 47 PERSON
TEAM AND COULD AGGREVATE A TENSE SITUATION.
MSABAHA REPLIED THAT AMBASSADOR DE VOS AND A/S
SECRETARY MOOSE HAD BOTH CONVEYED CLEAR
MESSAGES TO PRESIDENT MWINYI THAT THE USG
CAUTIONED AGAINST THE LARGER FORCE. TANZANIA
APPRECIATED US CONCERNS, CONTINUED MSABAHA, AND
DID NOT WANT ANY MILITARY INTERVENTION.
HOWEVER, IT WAS THE DUTY OF RWANDA AND
BURUNDI'S NEIGHBORS AND THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY TO HELP THEM SOLVE THEIR PROBLEMS.
THE STATUS QUO WAS UNACCEPTABLE, HE REPEATED.
10. COMMENT. TANZANIA HAS NEITHER THE
PHYSICAL NOR FINANCIAL CAPABILITY TO UNDERTAKE
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
A UNILATERAL MILITARY OPERATION IN BURUNDI OR
RWANDA. MSABAHA'S FORCEFUL MESSAGE WAS CLEARLY
DESIGNED TO CONTINUE THE 'CHARGED' ATMOSPHERE
THE GOT SOUGHT FOR THE SUMMIT (REF B, PARA 4).
THE DELIBERATE LINKAGE OF THE TWO COUNTRIES IS
A CONTINUATION OF MWINYI'S THEME OF JOINT
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RESOLUTION OF THE CRISES. ACCURATE INFORMATION
ON THE SITUATION IN EACH COUNTRY COULD HELP
DAMPEN THE APPARENT CRISIS MODE IN THE MINISTRY
AND STATE HOUSE. END COMMENT.
11. POST WOULD APPRECIATE REGULAR UPDATES OF
THE SECURITY SITUATION IN EACH COUNTRY WHICH WE
CAN FORWARD ON TO THE MOFA. ANY ADDITIONAL
INFORMATION ON THE LIKELYHOOD OF EVACAUTION OF
US NATIONALS WOULD ALSO BE HELPFUL. BROWNING
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