Résumé
I found that RTLM (Pro-Habyarimana
radio) had publicly discussed the possibility of a
governmental change as the result of president's
meeting with party officials. I told his cabinet director that Rwanda now lived in a political vacuum that could only be
filled by proceeding to install the Interim
Government and National Assembly.
Citation
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O 251647Z FEB 94
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5820
INFO AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 01 OF 02 KIGALI 00833
BRUSSELS FOR DUBROW
PARIS FOR PERLOW
YAOUNDE FOR DATT
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
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TAGS: PGOV, RW
SUBJECT: GATABAZI'S FUNERAL; PRESIDENT'S NEW
INITIATIVE
REF: KIGALI 0830
1.
CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARY: CALM APPEARS TO REIGN IN KIGALI THE DAY
AFTER MINISTER OF PUBLIC WORKS GATABAZI WAS BURIED
OUTSIDE THE SOUTHERN UNIVERSITY TOWN OF BUTARE.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: WILLIAM E LANDFAIR
DATE/CASE ID: 18 JAN 2005 200404138
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MEANWHILE, HABYARIMANA HAS CONVENED A MEETING OF
POLITICAL LEADERS TO LOOK AT THE CONTINUING
GOVERNMENTAL CRISIS. THE PRESIDENT APPARENTLY
INTENDS TO SET UP ALTERNATIVE GOVERNMENTAL
INSTITUTIONS, BUT I WARNED HIS ADVISORS OF THE
DAMGERS IN SUCH ACTION. UN SECRETARY GENERAL BOUTROS
BOUTROS GHALI ALSO CALLED THE PRESIDENT NIGHT 2/24
URGING HIM TO PROCEED WITH TRANSITION INSTITUTIONS.
END SUMMARY.
3. RWANDAN CLERGY AND GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS CONDUCTED
THE FUNERAL OF FELICIEN GATABAZI, MINISTER OF PUBLIC
WORKS, IN SOLEMN DIGNITY AT THE BUTARE REGIONAL
STADIUM. IN ADDITION TO REPRESENTATIVES FROM ALL
MAJOR POLITICAL PARTIES AND THE PRESIDENCY, MOURNERS
INCLUDED RPF'S BIZIMUNGU AND TITO RUTAREMARA AND COMS
FROM FRANCE, BELGIUM, SWITZERLAND, UNICEF AND MYSELF.
4. THE MECHANISMS SET UP TO HANDLE AN OVERFLOW CROWD
AND LEAD THEM THROUGH A LENGTHY MASS AND INTERMENT
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CEREMONIES DEMONSTRATED RWANDAN CAPACITY TO DO THINGS
RIGHT IF THEY SO DESIRE. THE FUNERAL PREPARATIONS
ALSO SHOWED HOW MUCH OF RWANDAN POLITY AND CIVIL
SOCIETY IS STILL INTACT. GENDARMERIE SMARTLY
PERFORMED THEIR POLICING ROLES, THE ARMY PROVIDED AN
HONOR COMPANY, POLITICIANS OF ALL STRIPE PARTICIPATED
IN THE CEREMONIES. THE MASS WAS LED BY A TUTSI
BISHOP WHO HAD BEEN GATABAZI'S TEACHER MANY YEARS AGO
AMD SPOKE OF HIM AS A SON.
5. ON RETURN TO KIGALI AFTER THE FUNERAL AND
INTERMENT AT SAVE MISSION STATION (RWANDA'S OLDEST
CATHOLIC MISSION), I FOUND THAT RTLM (PRO-HABYARIMANA
RADIO) HAD PUBLICLY DISCUSSED THE POSSIBILITY OF A
GOVERNMENTAL CHANGE AS THE RESULT OF PRESIDENT'S
MEETING WITH PARTY OFFICIALS TODAY. WE HAD NOT
PREVIOUSLY DISCERNED THAT THE PRESIDENT INTENDED TO
USE THIS ALL-PARTY GATHERING TO FORM A NEW GOVERNMENT.
6. AFTER NUMEROUS EFFORTS, I FINALLY REACHED THE
PRESIDENT'S LEGAL ADVISER AND CABINET DIRECTOR. I
TOLD THEM BOTH THAT THE RWANDAN POLITICAL SYSTEM HAD
ENTERED A NEW ORDER WHEN THE PRESIDENT WAS SWORN IN
AS PART OF THE ARUSHA INTERIM ARRANGEMENT ON 1/5. WE
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NOW LIVED IN A POLITICAL VACUUM THAT COULD ONLY BE
FILLED BY PROCEEDING TO INSTALL THE INTERIM
GOVERNMENT AND NATIONAL ASSEMBLY. ANY GOVERNMENT SET
UP OTHERWISE MIGHT BE CONTRARY TO THE CONSTITUTION
AND THE FUNDAMENTAL LAW (THE ARUSHA ACCORD).
7. THE LEGAL COUNSELOR TRIED TO ARGUE THAT THE
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ARUSHA ACCORD COULD BE INTERPRETED IN TWO DIFFERENT
WAYS. I URGED HIM NOT TO ELABORATE LEGAL
JUSTIFICATIONS BUT TO UNDERSTAND THE IMPORT OF WHAT I
WAS TRYING TO COMMUNICATE. I WAS NOT A LAWYER, BUT I
KNEW WE HAD A LAW WHICH PROHIBITED ASSISTANCE TO
UNCONSTITUTIONAL REGIMES. I WOULD CERTAINLY HAVE TO
QUERY WASHINGTON REGARDING OUR COOPERATION WITH ANY
GOVERNMENT OTHER THAN A TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT UNDER
THE ARUSHA ACCORD. I WANTED TO GET THIS MESSAGE TO
THE PRESIDENT, NOT AS A DICTATE OR CHALLENGE, BUT SO
THAT HE WAS FULLY INFORMED ON THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE
ISSUE UNDER CONSIDERATION AND WOULD NOT BE SURPRISED
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O 251647Z FEB 94
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 5821
INFO AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 02 OF 02 KIGALI 00833
BRUSSELS FOR DUBROW
PARIS FOR PERLOW
YAOUNDE FOR DATT
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
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TAGS: PGOV, RW
SUBJECT: GATABAZI'S FUNERAL; PRESIDENT'S NEW
BY ANY SUBSEQUENT U.S. ACTIONS. IN THE NEXT CALL,
CABINET DIRECTOR RUHIGIRA TOOK NOTE OF MY COMMENTS
AND WENT IMMEDIATELY TO THE POLITICAL GATHERING. HE
WAS ALREADY AWARE THAT THE ONLY STEP WE WOULD
CONSIDER JUSTIFIED WAS A INITIATIVE TO INSTALL THE
INTERIM GOVERNMENTAL INSTITUTIONS.
B. WHEN THE SECRETARY GENERAL'S SPECIAL
REPRESENTATIVE BOOH BOOH RETURNED MY CALL AFTERNOON
2/25, I INFORMED HIM OF WHAT I HAD TOLD THE
PRESIDENT'S COUNSELORS. HE SAID THAT UN SECRETARY
GENERAL BOUTROS BOUTROS GHALI HAD CALLED THE
PRESIDENT THE NIGHT BEFORE AND, THOUGH HE COULD NOT
REVEAL ALL THAT HAD BEEN SAID, THE SECRETARY GENERAL
HAD URGED THE PRESIDENT TO STOP DALYING AND GET THE
INTERIM INSTITUTIONS ESTABLISHED. BOOR BOOH SAID
THAT UN VIEW ON THIS PRIORITY COINCIDED PRECISELY
WITH OURS.
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9. CALM HAS RETURNED TO KIGALI. THE STREETS SEEM
BACK TO NORMAL. AT A TOWN MEETING NOON 2/25, WE SAW
OFFICIAL AND UNOFFICIAL AMERICANS FROM ALL OVER
TOWN. THE PREFECTURE, AFTER A LONG MEETING ON
SECURITY, HAS DECIDED TO CONTINUE THE CURFEW THROUGH
THE WEEKEND. WE WILL MAINTAIN REGULAR UPDATES ON THE
SITUATION TO THE AMERICAN COMMUNITY THROUGH OUR
WARDEN NET.
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COMMENT:
WE
CAN HOPE THAT THE SECRETARY
10.
GENERAL'S CALL TO THE PRESIDENT AND MY OWN WARNING
SHOTS ACROSS THE BOW DETERRED HIM FROM TRYING TO
RECREATE GOVERNMENT OUTSIDE THE ARUSHA CONTEXT, BUT
WE WILL HAVE TO AWAIT THE RESULTS OF TODAY'S
MEETING. RPF IS MEETING WITH MDR FACTION OF FORMER
PRIME MINISTER NSENGIYAREMYE AT OUR RESIDENCE
TOMORROW AT 10:00 A.M. IN ANOTHER CONFIDENCE-BUILDING
EXERCISE. I WILL SOLICIT THEIR VIEWS AT THAT TIME.
11. WE WERE VERY CLOSE TO A GLOBAL AGREEMENT ON
MONDAY. SOMEONE CLEARLY DID NOT WANT INSTITUTIONS TO
BE INSTALLED AND TOOK DRACONIAN MEASURES TO PREVENT
THIS. IT IS DISCONCERTING TO HEAR RWANDANS BLAME,
WITH EQUAL FERVOR, THE PRESIDENT, THE PRIME
MINISTER-DESIGNATE OR THE RPF. THIS DISPUTE ABOUT
WHO WOULD WANT TO KILL GATABAZI IS BUT A REFLECTION
OF THE DEEP DISTRUST THAT STILL SEPARATES THE
PUTATIVE PARTNERS IN THE RWANDAN PEACE PROCESS. YET
THE CENTRAL COHESION OF RWANDAN SOCIETY AND ITS
CAPACITY FOR GOOD HAS BEEN DEMONSTRATED IN ITS
DIGNIFIED FAREWELL TO PUBLIC WORKS MINISTER
GATABAZI. THE IMPRESSIONS OF THAT EVENT MAKE THE
ARUSHA PEACE ACCORD WORTH OUR CONSTANT EFFORT AND
CONTINUING PRESSURE ON RWANDANS TO GET THE
INSTITUTIONS IN PLACE. END COMMENT. RAWSON
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