Citation
SUBJECT: RWANDA’ INTERIN GOVERNMENT DECLARATIONS
SUGGEST MOBUTU PEACE INITHATIVE
Dept-of State, RPS/IPS, Ms
4
1. SUMMARY. SEVERAL MEMBERS OF THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT OF
RWANDA PASSED THROUGH KINSHASA OVER THE APRIL 23-24
WEEKEND, INTERIM FOREIGN MINISTER BICAMUMPAKA GAVE AN
INTERVIEW TO A LOCAL JOURNAL JUST BEFORE HIS DEPARTURE FOR
PARIS. A FOUR MEMBER DELEGATION HEADED BY COMMUNICATIONS
MINISTER ANDRE NTAGERURA CLAIMED TO HAVE BEEN IN ZAIRE TO
SIGN A CEASE-FIRE AGREEMENT WITH THE RWANDAN PATRIOTIC FRONT
(RPF) IN GBADOLITE, MOBUTU'S RETREAT IN THE PROVINCE OF
EQUATEUR. THE CEASE-FIRE PLAN FELL THROUGH WHEN THE RPF DID
NOT SHOW. BOTH BICAMUMPAKA AND NTAGERURA'S DELEGATION
REPEATED THE CHARGE THAT BELGIAN SOLDIERS HAD SHOT DOWN THE
PRESIDENTIAL AIRCRAFT, AND THAT UGANDA AND BELGIUM WERE
AIDING THE RPF. END SUMMARY.
2. AT AN IMPROMPTU PRESS CONFERENCE IN KINSHASA'S
INTERCONTINENTAL HOTEL SUNDAY APRIL 24, A FOUR MEMBER
RWANDAN GOVERNMENT DELEGATION HEADED BY COMMUNICATIONS
MINISTER ANDRE NTAGERURA SAID THAT IT HAD SIGNED A CEASE
FIRE AGREEMENT IN GBADOLITE APRIL 23, BUT THAT THE RPF HAD
FAILED TO SHOW UP. THE CEASEFIRE WOULD HAVE COME INTO FORCE
AT NOON APRIL 24, BUT WAS NULL IN THE ABSENCE OF THE RPF'S
SIGNATURE. NTAGURERA SAID THAT THE RPF HAD ASKED FOR
MOBUTU'S INVOLVENENT, AND THAT THE RPF HAD APPROVED THE
DRAFT DOCUMENT ANNOUNCING THE CEASE-FIRE IN ADVANCE, HE
COULD NOT EXPLAIN THE RPF'S ABSENCE FROM GBADOLITE IN LIGHT
OF THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. HE LEFT THE DOOR OPEN TO A FUTURE
SIGNING. HE EXPLAINED HIS GOVERNMENT'S ABSENCE FROM ARUSHA
AS A PROBLEM OF COMMUNICATHONS AND LOGISTICS, BUT INSISTED
THAT THE RPF HAD GONE TO ARUSHA ONLY TO POSTURE, NOT TO
NEGOTIATE.
3. OTHER MEMBERS OF THE DELEGATION HERE INTRODUCED AS
JUSTICE MINISTER AGNES NTAMABYALIRO, HEALTH HINISTER CASIMIR
BIZIMUNGU, AND BRIGADIER GENERAL MARCEL GATSINZI OF THE
RWANDAN ARMY. THE DELEGATION BLAMED REBEL MILITARY
SUCCESSES ON ACTIVE SUPPORT FROM UGANDAN AND BELGIAN
FORCES. THEY REITERATED CLAIMS THAT BELGIANS SOLDIERS HAD
SHOT DOWN THE PRESIDENTIAL AIRPLANE.
4, RWANDAN INTERIM FOREIGN MINISTER JEROME BICAMUMPAKA,
REPORTED TO BE “PASSING THROUGH“ ZAIRE WITH THREE OTHER
MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT OF RWANDA, SPOKE TO THE PRESS IN
KINSHASA AND THE ELECTRONIC MEDIA FROM PRESIDENT MOBUTU’S
RETREAT AT GBADOLITE OVER THE APRIL 22-24 WEEKEND. HE
DISCUSSED THE ARUSHA ACCORDS AND ATTRIBUTED THE GOR'S
FAILURE TO ATTEND THE LATEST ARUSHA ROUND TO LOGISTICAL
PROBLEMS. A NOTABLE AND UNFORTUNATE THEME IN THESE PUBLIC
PRONOUNCEMENTS, AND IN A NEW NOTE VERBALE FROM THE RWANDAN
EMBASSY HERE, IS THE ACCUSATION OF BELGIAN INVOLVEMENT IN
THE DEATHS OF THE RWANDAN AND BURUNDIAN PRESIDENTS.
BICAMUMPAKA ALSO SUGGESTED THAT UGANDA IS PROVIDING TANGIBLE
SUPPORT TO THE RWANDA PATRIOTIC FRONT (RPF.)
5. IN AN INTERVIEW IN THE APRIL 25 ISSUE OF KINSHASA
THRICE-WEEKLY “LA REFERENCE PLUS," BICAMUMPAKA EXPLAINED HIS
GOVERNHENT'S ABSENCE FROM ARUSHA AS FOLLOWS: "THE RWANDAN
GOVERNMENT SENT TO DAR ES SALAAM A DELEGATION LED BY
TRANSPORT AND TELECOMMUNICATIONS MINISTER ANDRE NTAGERURA.
IT COMPRISED, AMONG OTHERS, THE JUSTICE MINISTER AND OTHER
HIGH RANKING OFFICIALS. BUT FOLLOWING TRANSPORT AND
COMMUNICATIONS DIFFICULTIES THE DELEGATION ARRIVED IN DAR ES
SALAAM YESTERDAY (SIC -- DATE OF INTERVIEW NOT CLEAR BUT WE
THINK IT TOOK PLACE MIDDAY APRIL 24). HOWEVER TANZANIAN
PRESIDENT MWINYI HAD BEEN INFORMED ABOUT A POTENTIAL DELAY.
OUR GOVERNMENT IS PREPARED TO HOLD A DIALOGUE WITH THE RPF
BUT THE LATTER SHOULD PUBLICLY ACCEPT THE IDEA OF PEACE.
THEY HAVE VIOLATED THE FEBRUARY 2, 1993 AND APRIL 6, 1994
AGREEMENTS. THIS TIME WE MUST HAVE GUARANTEES. THAT IS WHY
WE ARE PUTTING OUR CONFIDENCE IN PRESIDENT MWINYI AND OTHER
6. ON THE ARUSHA ACCORDS THEMSELVES, BICAMUMPAKA ADDED THAT
“THE ASSASSINATION OF THE HEAD OF STATE AND THE RPF
HOSTILITIES ARE CALLING THE ARUSHA AGREEMENTS INTO
QUESTION. IF THE RPF ADMITS TO ITS VIOLATION AND GIVES
ENOUGH GUARANTEES OF ITS COMMITMENT TO PEACE AND TO THE
DEMOCRATIC PROCESS, OUR GOVERNHENT IS READY TO RESUME
ADHERING TO THE ARUSHA PEACE AGREEMENT, OR TO ADJUST IT OR
AMEND IT IN SOME WAYS IF NECESSARY
7. IN RESPONSE TO LA REFERENCE'S QUESTION: “PRESIDENT
HABYARIMANA MAY HAVE BEEN KILLED (AURAIT ETE ASSASSINE) BY
BELGIAN FORCES. CAN YOU CONFIRM THIS ?“ BICAMUMPAKA
REPLIED, "INVESTIGATIONS ARE CONTINUING, BUT WE HAVE, NOW
INFORMATION ACCORDING TO WHICH CERTAIN BELGIAN FORCES
(ELEMENTS) OF THE UN MISSION UNAMIR WOULD BE IMPLICATED IN
THE ATTACK." BICAMUMPAKA DID NOT GO SO FAR AS TO ACCUSE THE
BELGIAN GOVERNMENT, DRAWING INSTEAD A DISTINCTION BETWEEN
BRUSSELS AND THESE "ELEMENTS." THIS LINE IS REPEATED IN A
LONG AND TENDENTIOUS NOTE VERBALE FROM THE RWANDAN EMBASSY
DATED APRIL 29 BUT CIRCULATING IN KINSHASA FROM APRIL 25, IN
WHICH THE PHRASE “THE PRESIDENTIAL AIRPLANE SHOT DOWN BY
BELGIAN SOLDIERS" IS UNDERLINED IN THE TEXT. (A TRANSLATION
OF THE NOTE FOLLOWS SEPTEL)
8. COMMENTS. IT HAS BEEN DIFFICULT TO GET A READING FROM THE
ZAIRIAN' GOVERNMENT ON THESE DEVELOPMENTS SINCE MOBUTU HE IS
IN GBADOLITE AND WE HAVE BEEN UNABLE TO MEET WITH THE
RWANDAN DELEGATIONS. HOWEVER, CHARGE HAS ASKED FOR AN
APPOINTMENT WITH PRESIDENT MOBUTU‘S SPECIAL COUNSELOR FOR
SECURITY AFFAIRS TO CARRY OUT INSTRUCTIONS CONTAINED STATE
112362 AND WILL TRY TO DISCOVER JUST WHAT THE PRESIDENT'S UP
TO VIS-A-VIS RWANDA. THERE ARE CONFLICTING STORIES ABOUT
ZAIRIAN TROOPS AND ARMS MOVING ACROSS THE BORDER FROM KIVU.
WE DOUBT THE FAZ HAVE MOVED AND WHILE SMALL ARMS COULD HAVE,
THERE IS NO/NO DIRECT EVIDENCE TO THAT EFFECT. THIS IS
CONSISTENT WITH AAO'S FINDINGS IN GOMA AND BUKAVU OVER THE
WEEKEND.
YATES
