Résumé
The Ambassador met with Deputy Minister of External Relations Francis Nkwain April 17 to press the Cameroonian Government to detain the four highprofile Rwandans to whom it has denied asylum. Minister Nkwain did not know if the four are still in Cameroon, but said he would relay the urgency of the U.S. request for their detention to Minister Oyono who has just returned from New York. Nkwain was as non-committal as two other Ministry officials we have spoken with over the past few days (REFTEL C AND D). He remained vague about the terms under which war crimes suspects might be detained under Cameroonian and International Law. Nkwain discussed briefly the ten Cameroonian Peace keepers who await UNHCR approval to travel to Rwanda.
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O 181528Z APR 95
FM AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
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AMEMBASSY KIGALI
INFO AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
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USMISSION GENEVA
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CONFIDENTIALSECTION 01 OF 02 YAOUNDE 003049
PARIS FOR MORAN
GENEVA FOR RMA
E.O. 12356: DECL: 01/31/95
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, CM
SUBJECT: WAR CRIMES - DEMARCHE APRIL 17 ON
RWANDA FOUR
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1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
SUMMARY
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UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: HARRY R MELONE
DATE/CASE ID: 01 DEC 2003 200302426
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2. THE AMBASSADOR MET WITH DEPUTY MINISTER OF
EXTERNAL RELATIONS FRANCIS NKWAIN APRIL 17 TO PRESS
THE CAMEROONIAN GOVERNMENT TO DETAIN THE FOUR HIGHPROFILE RWANDANS TO WHOM IT HAS DENIED ASYLUM.
MINISTER NKWAIN DID NOT KNOW IF THE FOUR ARE STILL
IN CAMEROON, BUT SAID HE WOULD RELAY THE URGENCY OF
THE U.S. REQUEST FOR THEIR DETENTION TO MINISTER
OYONO WHO HAS JUST RETURNED FROM NEW YORK. NKWAIN
WAS AS NON-COMMITTAL AS TWO OTHER MINISTRY OFFICIALS
WE HAVE SPOKEN WITH OVER THE PAST FEW DAYS (REFTEL C
AND D). HE REMAINED VAGUE ABOUT THE TERMS UNDER
WHICH WAR CRIMES SUSPECTS MIGHT BE DETAINED UNDER
CAMEROONIAN AND INTERNATIONAL LAW. NKWAIN DISCUSSED
BRIEFLY THE TEN CAMEROONIAN PEACE KEEPERS WHO AWAIT
UNHCR APPROVAL TO TRAVEL TO RWANDA.
END SUMMARY
REQUEST FOR DETENTION OF RWANDAN FOUR
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3. AMBASSADOR ISOM NOTED TO DEPUTY MINISTER OF
EXTERNAL RELATIONS FRANCIS NKWAIN, THE U.S.
GOVERNMENT'S PLEASURE WITH THE GRC'S DECISION TO
DENY ASYLUM TO FOUR RWANDAN EXILES WHO ARE SUSPECTED
OF HIGH-LEVEL PARTICIPATION IN THE GENOCIDE IN
RWANDA. THEY ARE JOSEPH NZIRORERA, JUSTIN MUGENZI,
FERDINAND NAHIMANA AND PASTEUR MUSABE.
4.
THE AMBASSADOR DELIVERED THE TALKING POINTS
PROVIDED REFTEL A. SHE TOLD MINISTER NKWAIN THAT
THE U.S. GOVERNMENT REQUESTS THE GRC TAKE INTO
ACCOUNT U.N. SECURITY COUNCIL RESOLUTION 978 AMD
ARREST THE FOUR RWANDANS AGAINST WHOM THERE IS
CREDIBLE EVIDENCE OF RESPONSIBILITY FOR ACTS WITHIN
THE JURISDICTION OF THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL FOR
RWANDA. THE US. ALSO WISHED TO KNOW WHAT THE
INFORMATION IS THAT THE GRC USED TO DENY ASYLUM TO
THE RWANDANS. IT IS INCUMBENT ON THE GRC, THE
AMBASSADOR POINTED OUT, TO PASS ON WHATEVER EVIDENCE
IT HAS AGAINST THESE FOUR AS WELL AS ANY OTHER
RWANDANS WHO MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN WAR CRIMES,
CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY AND GENOCIDE COMMITTED
INSIDE RWANDA OR BY RWANDAN CITIZENS IN THE
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TERRITORY OF NEIGHBORING STATES.
5. MINISTER NKWAIN COULD NOT SAY WHETHER THE FOUR
RWANDANS IN QUESTION WERE STILL IN CAMEROON, BUT
SAID HE WOULD GIVE THE AMBASSADOR'S DEMARCHE THE
HIGHEST PRIORITY IN HIS BRIEFINGS LATER THAT MORNING
WITH THE JUST RETURNED EXTERNAL RELATIONS MINISTER,
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FERDINAND OYONO. THE AMBASSADOR SAID SHE WISHED TO
FOLLOW UP PERSONALLY WITH OYONO AND WOULD REQUEST AN
APPOINTMENT AT HIS EARLIEST CONVENIENCE.
AFRICANS ON AFRICA
6.
THE DEPUTY EXTERNAL RELATIONS MINISTER TOLD THE
AMBASSADOR THAT IN HIS VIEW THERE ARE VERY SPECIAL
CIRCUMSTANCES WHICH HAVE CAUSED SO MUCH MISERY IN
RWANDA AND BURUNDI. WITHOUT CONDONING THE
PERPETRATORS, HE THOUGHT IT IMPORTANT TO RECALL THAT
THOSE BEING ACCUSED OF WAR CRIMES AND GENOCIDE HAD
ACTED IN THE BELIEF THAT THEIR CAUSE WAS "NOBLE."
NOBLE, HE SAID, IN THE SENSE OF PATRIOTIC,.EXTREME
GRANTED, BUT THE CONSEQUENCE OF DEEPLY HELD BELIEFS
HAVING THEIR ORIGIN IN THE HISTORY OF THE REGION.
NKWAIN SAID AFRICANS COULD MORE READILY UNDERSTAND
THE ATTITUDES AND BELIEFS THAT LED TO THE RECENT
HORRORS IN RWANDA.
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0 181528Z APR 95
FM AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 4146
AMEMBASSY KIGALI
INFO AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
USMISSION GENEVA
AMEMBASSY PARIS
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 02 OF 02 YAOUNDE 003049
PARIS FOR MORAN
GENEVA FOR RMA
E.O. 12356: DECL: 01/31/95
TAGS: PHUM, PREL, CM
SUBJECT: WAR CRIMES - DEMARCHE APRIL 17 ON
RWANDA FOUR
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7. THE AMBASSADOR RESPONDED THAT THE EXTREME NATURE
OF THE ACTIONS TAKEN BY CERTAIN RAWANDANS WHO NOW
SEEK ASYLUM MAKES THE CASE AGAINST THEM QUITE CLEAR
IN OUR VIEW. UNSC RESOLUTION 978 MUST BE ENFORCED
AND THE MESSAGE FROM THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
MUST BE UNEQUIVOCAL, GENOCIDE AND WAR CRIMES WILL
NOT BE TOLERATED AND THOSE RESPONSIBLE WILL BE
PROSECUTED. CAMEROON'S RESPONSIBILITY UNDER THE
RESOLUTION IS TO ARREST THE FOUR RAWANDANS DENIED
ASYLUM AND TO PROVIDE INFORMATION ABOUT RWANDAN
REFUGEES SO THAT THE INTERNATIONAL TRIBUNAL MAY
BEGIN ISSUING INDICTMENTS BY THE END OF THE YEAR.
8. MINISTER NKWAIN SAID HE UNDERSTOOD THE NATURE
AND THE URGENCY OF THE U.S. DEMARCHE AND WOULD
PERSONALLY RELAY IT TO THE EXTERNAL RELATIONS
MINISTER ALONG WITH A COPY OF THE EMBASSY'S NONPAPER. THE GRC WOULD INVESTIGATE THE WHEREABOUTS OF
THE FOUR RAWANDANS AND WOULD ADVISE THE EMBASSY OF
THE RESULTS.
PEACE-KEEPING FORCES FOR BURUNDI
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9. AMBASSADOR ISOM NOTED THAT VERY RECENTLY THE GRC
SIGNED AN AGREEMENT WITH THE UNHCR TO PROVIDE PEACE
KEEPERS FOR BURUNDI. THE AMBASSADOR INQUIRED
WHETHER THEY WOULD BE DRAWN FROM THE MILITARY.
NKWAIN DID NOT ANSWER' DIRECTLY, BUT SAID THE
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AGREEMENT CALLED FOR A TOTAL OF TEN "PROFESSIONALS"
TO TRAIN LOCAL FORCES IN BURUNDI IN "THE MAINTENANCE
OF ORDER." THE NAMES OF THE VOLUNTEERS HAD ALREADY
GONE TO THE UNHCR AND THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE WOULD
COORDINATE THEIR TRAVEL AS SOON AS THE UNHCR
APPROVED THE LIST.
10.
THE AMBASSADOR INQUIRED WHETHER NKWAIN KNEW OF
ANY OTHER CENTRAL AFRICAN STATES THAT MIGHT BE
PREPARED TO SEND PEACE KEEPING VOLUNTEERS TO
BURUNDI. HE SAID HE WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY.
11. IN A REFLECTIVE TONE, THE MINISTER ADDED HIS
HOPE THAT THIS TIME THERE WOULD BE NATIONAL
'CONSENSUS ABOUT ZENDING PEACE KEEPERS ABROAD. HE
SAID THERE HAD BEEN MUCH CRITICISM WITHIN CAMEROON
OVER THE DECISION TO SEND MILITARY VOLUNTEERS TO
SUPPORT PEACE KEEPING IN CAMBODIA.
ISOM
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