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DRAFTED BY: AF/C: KCAISTON
APPROVED BY: AF/C: AXRENDER
AF/C: RJFENDRICK
AF/C: JLEADER
3DDAFD 200558Z /38
0 P 200555Z APR 94
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA IMMEDIATE
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
USMISSION GENEVA
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
CONFIDENTIALSTATE 104015
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YAOUNDE FOR DATT; GENEVA ALSO FOR IO A/S BENNET
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PREL MOPS RW
SUBJECT: DEPARTMENT TELLS RPF TO STOP THE FIGHTING NOW
REF: USUN 01604
1.
CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2.
SUMMARY. AF/C CALLED IN RPF WASHINGTON
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: JOHN S BLODGETT
DATE/CASE ID: 17 MAY 2005 200501507
UNCLASSIFIED
DOEE-00
L-01
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USIE-00
UNCLASSIFIED
REPRESENTATIVE CHARLES MURIGANDE ON APRIL 18 AND
REITERATED OUR PUBLIC CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASE FIRE,
AN END TO THE VIOLENCE, AND A RETURN TO THE ARUSHA
PROCESS. RWANDA DESKOFF AISTON AND EMBASSY KIGALI DCM
LEADER TOLD MURIGANDE THAT REPRISALS FROM ANY SIDE WERE
UNACCEPTABLE. MURIGANDE SAID THAT THE RPF REMAINED
COMMITTED TO THE ARUSHA ACCORD BUT SAID THAT IT WOULD NOT
STOP FIGHTING UNTIL THE POLITICAL AND ETHNIC KILLINGS
STOPPED. END SUMMARY
RPF TOLD TO STOP FIGHTING NOW AND RETURN TO PEACE PROCESS
3. ON APRIL 18, RWANDA DESKOFF KEVIN AISTON AND EMBASSY
KIGALI DCM JOYCE LEADER (CURRENTLY ON EVACUEE STATUS) MET
WITH CHARLES MURIGANDE, THE WASHINGTON REPRESENTATIVE FOR
THE RPF. AISTON TELEPHONED MURIGANDE LAST WEEK (PRIOR TO
RECEIPT OF REFTEL) AND CONVOKED HIM TO THE DEPARTMENT TO
REITERATE THE USG'S POSITION ON RWANDA. DESKOFF MADE
THREE MAIN POINTS:
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-- THE USG CALLED FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASE FIRE BETWEEN
THE TWO SIDES;
-- THE VIOLENCE MUST STOP, AND REPRISALS WERE
UNACCEPTABLE;
-- THE PARTIES SHOULD RESUME TALKS INTENDED TO IMPLEMENT
THE ARUSHA ACCORDS AND INSTALL THE BROAD-BASED TRANSITION
GOVERNMENT.
RPF SAYS NO CEASE FIRE UNTIL MASSACRES STOP
4. MURIGANDE REPLIED THAT THE RPF HAD RESUMED FIGHTING
TO STOP THE KILLINGS BY THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD AND OTHER
(HUTU) EXTREMISTS, TO PROTECT THE 600-MAN RPF FORCE THAT
HAD BEEN BROUGHT TO KIGALI UNDER THE ARUSHA ACCORDS IN
DECEMBER, AND TO "RESTORE LAW AND ORDER". HE ADMITTED
THAT RESUMING HOSTILITIES WAS "NOT THE BEST THING", BUT
INSISTED THE RPF HAD NO OTHER CHOICE.
5. THE RPF REP SAID THAT IF THE OTHER SIDE STOPS THE
MASSACRES, THE RPF WILL STOP FIGHTING. MURIGANDE
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
COMPLAINED THAT THE GOR MILITARY WAS NOT DOING ANYTHING
TO STOP THE KILLINGS, WHICH WERE SPREADING THROUGHOUT THE
COUNTRY. RATHER, HE CLAIMED THAT THE MILITARY WAS
ACTUALLY ENCOURAGING THE MASSACRES, AS WAS THE HUTU
EXTREMISTS' PRIVATE RADIO STATION. MURIGANDE WAS
PARTICULARLY OUTRAGED BY THE RADIO BROADCASTS, WHICH (HE
CLAIMED) HAD SAID THAT EVEN BABIES SHOULD NOT BE SPARED
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FROM THE KILLING, SINCE (RPF COMMANDER) KAGAME HAD LEFT
RWANDA AS A BABY.
6. DESKOFF POINTED OUT THE INHERENT CONTRADICTION IN THE
RPF'S POSITION THAT IT HAD RESUMED THE WAR TO STOP
KILLINGS. HE TOLD THE RPF THAT IT MUST NOT MAKE ITS
CEASE FIRE CONTINGENT ON THE OTHER SIDE STOPPING FIRST,
SINCE THE OTHER SIDE COULD JUST AS WELL TAKE THE SAME
POSITION, WHICH WOULD ONLY PROLONG THE FIGHTING.
INSTEAD, BOTH SIDES MUST AGREE TO STOP THE FIGHTING AT
THE SAME TIME -- NOW.
7. BOTH AISTON AND LEADER STRESSED THE SUFFERING OF THE
POPULATION AND THE HUMANITARIAN DISASTER THAT FACED THE
COUNTRY AS A RESULT OF THE RESUMPTION OF HOSTILITIES.
AISTON SAID THE RPF MUST ACT FOR THE POPULATION AND STOP
THE FIGHTING, AND LEADER EMPHASIZED THAT AN IMMEDIATE
CEASE FIRE WAS NECESSARY TO PREVENT KIGALI FROM BEING
DESTROYED.
RPF COMMITTED TO ARUSHA
8. MURIGANDE REAFFIRMED THE RPF'S COMMITMENT TO THE
ARUSHA AGREEMENT AND ITS FUNDAMENTAL PRINCIPLES,
INCLUDING THE ESTABLISHMENT OF THE RULE OF LAW AND
POWER-SHARING LEADING TO DEMOCRATIC ELECTIONS. HE AGREED
THAT THE ARUSHA ACCORD WAS "THE BEST DEAL FOR THE RWANDAN
PEOPLE" AND SAID THE RPF HAS DONE EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO
MOVE FORWARD WITH IMPLEMENTING ARUSHA. HOWEVER, HE SAID
THE ARUSHA FRAMEWORK IS BEING IGNORED BY THE OTHER SIDE.
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UNCLASSIFIED
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IN SUCH CIRCUMSTANCES, HE WARNED THAT A PARTY CANNOT BE
COMMITTED TO SOMETHING THE OTHER PARTY IS NOT ITSELF
COMMITTED TO.
AF/C WARNS AGAINST REPRISALS
9. DESKOFF MADE IT CLEAR THAT THE USG CONSIDERED
REPRISALS TOTALLY UNACCEPTABLE AND STRESSED THAT THE RPF
COULD NOT PLAY JUDGE AND JURY AGAINST OPPONENTS THEY
BELIEVE MAY HAVE BEEN INVOLVED IN THE MASSACRES.
MURIGANDE SAID HE UNDERSTOOD OUR POSITION AND CLAIMED THE
RPF DID NOT INTEND TO PUNISH OR SUMMARILY EXECUTE
ANYONE. RATHER, THEY WOULD TRY TO "NEUTRALIZE" THE
ELEMENTS THAT ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR THE MASSACRES.
10. DESKOFF ASKED MURIGANDE WHAT HE MEANT BY
"NEUTRALIZE". HE REPLIED THAT THE RPF WOULD ATTEMPT TO
DISARM AND ARREST THOSE THEY BELIEVED WERE RESPONSIBLE
AND TURN THEM OVER TO THE UN TO BE PROSECUTED, PREFERABLY
BY A UN TRIBUNAL OF SOME SORT. IF, HOWEVER, THE SUSPECTS
RESIST ARREST, THEY WILL BE TREATED AS COMBATANTS AND
SHOT. DESKOFF STRESSED THAT THIS PROCEDURE WAS
UNACCEPTABLE AND THAT INNOCENT VICTIMS MIGHT RESIST
ARREST OUT OF FEAR OF THE RPF AND THEN BE KILLED AS A
RESULT. HE INSISTED THAT THE RPF RESPECT THE DUE PROCESS
RIGHTS OF ALL SUSPECTS.
RPF DISAPPOINTED WITH INTERNATIONAL REACTION
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11. MURIGANDE COMPLAINED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY'S RESPONSE TO THE EVENTS IN RWANDA WAS
INADEQUATE. HE COMPARED THE SITUATION TO KUWAIT, WHERE
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAD AMASSED A HUGE
INTERVENTION FORCE TO STOP IRAQI ABUSES AND ROLL BACK
IRAGI AGGRESSION.
12. DCM LEADER REPLIED THAT THE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE NOT
ANALOGOUS. SHE POINTED OUT THAT THE HELP THE
INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAD PROVIDED TO RWANDA, IN
PARTICULAR THE 2500-STRONG UN PEACEKEEPING MISSION, WAS
PROVIDED WITH THE UNDERSTANDING THAT THE RWANDANS WERE
COMMITTED TO THE PEACE PROCESS. GIVEN THE RENEWED
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
HOSTILITIES, SHE SAID THAT THE RPF SHOULD NOT BE
SURPRISED IF THAT SUPPORT WERE DISSIPATED. SHE
EMPHASIZED THAT IT WAS CRUCIAL TO PUT THE PEACE PROCESS
BACK ON TRACK.
MURIGANDE SAYS RPF HAS BUYUMBA; GOR MEMBERS IN ZAIRE?
13. MURIGANDE CLAIMED THAT BYUMBA (THE NORTHERN
HEADQUARTERS FOR THE GOR FORCE) HAD FALLEN TO THE RPF THE
PREVIOUS DAY (APRIL 17). HE SAID THE RPF CONTROLLED THE
HILLS AROUND KIGALI AND THAT GOR FORCES ARE USING HEAVY
ARTILLERY IN AN ATTEMPT TO DISLODGE THEM FROM THESE
POSITIONS. HE SAID THE WHEREABOUTS OF THE GOR WERE
UNKNOWN AND THAT THE ONLY FUNCTIONING INSTITUTION WAS THE
RWANDAN ARMY. HE ALSO CLAIMED THAT SOME MEMBERS OF THE
GOR HAD BEEN GIVEN ASYLUM IN KINSHASA, INCLUDING (MPND)
HEALTH MINISTER CASIMIR BIZIMUNGU.
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14. BUJUMBURA - MINIMIZE CONSIDERED.
CHRISTOPHER
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