Citation
INnER,OFFICE MEMORANDUM
i. The above mentioned meeting was held between 1000 hrs and
1315 hrs 29 May, 1994 at the Milles Collines Hotel in Kigali.
In attendance were the following persons:
-a.
Colonel Yaache, CHO;
A representative of the Prefect of Kigali;
C.
d.
Colonel HAGIRIMANA Edouard, Representative
Chief of Staff of the Rwandese Army;
of the
Lieutenant
Colonel
Gendarmerie;
of the
RWABALINDA
Major
Cyiza
f.
Major MacNeil and Captain Demers, UNAMIR HAC; and
h.
Lt Col Moigny, UNAMIR LO to RGF.
2. The aim of the meeting was to clarify points concerning the
transfer of displaced persons between the opposing forces due to
difficulties experienced in conducting the operation on 28 May.
"L.
3.. Colonel Yaache in his opening remarks indicated that the
convoy moving through Cayahafi cross roads had been fired upon
~9~our times the previous day and that two UNAMIR vehicles had been
~
hit. He indicated that he could not put the displaced persons ~
and UNAMIR troops insuch danger and that if the convoy was fired
upon in .... ~he fut-ure ............then the exercise would have to be ,
discontinued. He said that information collected on the incident
indicated that both the RGF and the RPF had engaged the convoy.
This was supported by a UNAMIR HNMO who was travelling with the
convoy who confirmed that both sides had engaged the convoy.
4. Colonel Hagirimana confirmed that if
the RPF to respect the truce then the RGF
truce until the operation was completed.
°perationwouldresumeon
30;May and that
.....
UNAMIR would convince
would also respect the
It was agreed that the
the RGFwould~Observe
.......
~a truce- from 0700 hrs to 1800 hrs.
5. The point was raised by Colonel Yaache that the roadblocks
were stopping the convoy in the dangerous area of Cayahafi cross
roads. The Gendarmerie
indicated that this practice would not be
continued for future convoys.
DISCUSSION
AND
AGREEMENTS
ON THE
OVERALL
OPERATION
......
6. Colonel
Hagirimana
expressed
the view that the!!RGF
viewed
the evacuation
of displaced
persons
as separate
operations
between
successive
camps.
It was his view that the Milles
Collines
and the Amahoro Stadium would be emptied and that the
operation
would end simultaneously.
The operation would then be
repeated with two more camps.
7. Colonel
Yaache explained
that it was UNAMIR’sunderstanding
of the agreement
that it was rather the entire operation
that
would
end simultaneously.
He explained
the practical
difficulties
of simultaneous
movement
of 7000 and 500 persons
from two areas.
8. After
reached:
a ¯
extensive
discussion
the
following
agreements
were
The operation
would continue as per the understanding
of ~he two parties.
Efforts would however be made to
~ty the Amahcro
Stadium
and Milles
Collines
Hotel
~=-ndi~-~ ~ -= a final agreemenz on the issue.
~~R would dedicaze
additional
lift resources
to the
~n~ro
Stadi~
tc demonstrate
an intention
to
compie~e the evacuation
simultaneously.
C o
d~
UNAMIR would obtain a written agreement
from the
to the effect that should the main operation
not
simultaneously
then they would not hold as hostage
remaining people in the RPF held areas.
The preferred
follows:
sequence
of
(i)
The
Collines
and
(2)
The King Faycal
Camp, and
(3)
e ¯
f.
The
Milles
Meridien
and
Hospital
evacuation
would
t~e
Stadium,
Amahoro
and
the
sainte
be
RPF
end
the
as
Famille.
.........................
, ...............................
~.~
~,~..~
-
other
places
in Kigali.
The listing
of displaced
persons
would continue
but
one list would suffice and this would be passed to the
Gendarmerie
or a burgmeistre
at the release point.
As of the moment only those persons presently
in the
Milles
Collines
and the Amahoro
Stadium
would
be
............ considered as within the present 0peration.
g.
Colonel
Hagirimana
indicated
that some people
were
moving
from
other
displaced
camps
to the Milles
Collines to benefit from a quicker evacuation.
It was
agreed that persons in other displaced camps would be
discouraged
from this practice
to avoid complicating
the operation.
9. Colonel
¥aache
stated
that
although
seven
trucks
were
available to evacuate persons at the Amahoro Stadium for the last
planned evacuation the day before only two trucks were needed for
the number of people who presented themselves.
He said he raised
the point for interest only indicating that the reason could have
been fear due to the convoy being engaged by fire or that they
had heard that th~ camp selected by the Government was not a good
one. The representative
of the Prefer indicated
that coercion
from the RPF may be the reason but in any case he.indicated
that
UNAMIR should continue to protect them until they decided what
they wanted
to do. It was decided
that this issue should
be
monitored closely using the next evacuation
as an indicator.
EVACUATION
BYAIR
10. Colonel Yaache asked whether their was any disagreement
with
allowing
those who wanted to leave Rwanda by air to do sc. ~!i
agreed that they saw no problem
with this and that UN~ =_hc~d
insist upon the same response from the RPF.
ORPHANAGES
Ii. Colonel
Yaache
raised
the issue of the inclusion
of -~
orphanages
in the Kigali
area in the operation.
He indicated
that the orphans had been sponsored by some countries
and could
be evacuated
quickly from danger through airlift. It was agreed
that the Government would submit its views on the issue to UNAMIR
as soon as possible.
ZAIRIANS/TANZANIAN~
12. It was agreed that the ex-patriates
of Zaire and Tanzania
could be inco~rated
into the operation
and that a list of the
evacuees woui~ibe provided to both sides.
E~ACUAT~ON
OF DISPLAC
....
O ..........
13. Colonel Yaache indicated
that some of the displaced persons
in the Milles Collines wished to be evacuated to areas under the
control
of the Government.
In addition,
there were some that
wished to remain at the hotel. It was agreed that UNAMIR would
evacuate
these displaced
persons
to areas in the Government
controlled
area as long as the distance to the area chosen did
not exceed
25 kilometers
from the centre
of Kigali.
It was
further
agreed that UNAMIRwould
continue
toprovidesecurity
to
displaced persons who wished to remain at the hotel.
CONCLUSION_
14. The meeting ended with a promise of a truce for the 30 May
when the operation would continue with loading of displaced
persons at 0800 hrs in the morning.
for
D.J. MacNeil
Maj.......
CHO
