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DRAFTED BY: AF/C: KCAISTON
APPROVED BY: AF/FO: PXBUSHNELL
AF/C: RMPRINGLE
IO/PEO: DEJENSEN
EUR/WE: PKROE
AF/E: CWILSON
DE1F2C 022354Z /38
0 022351Z AUG 93
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY NAIROBI IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE
INFO AMEMBASSY KIGALI IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
CONFIDENTIALSTATE 234108
NAIROBI PASS TO AMBASSADOR HOUDEK; PARIS FOR PERLOW
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
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STATE 234108 022351Z
TAGS: PREL MOPS RW FR
SUBJECT: TALKING POINTS/REMARKS ON RWANDA
REF: STATE 00232374
1. (U) THIS IS AN ACTION REQUEST. NAIROBI SEE PARA 5.
PARIS SEE PARA 6.
2. (U) FOLLOWING ARE POINTS AMBASSADOR HOUDEK MAY WISH TO
MAKE AT THE RWANDA PEACE ACCORD SIGNING CEREMONY IN
ARUSHA, IF THE OCCASION PRESENTS ITSELF:
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: HARRY It MELONE
DATE/CASE ID: 13 DEC 2006 200103014
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-- THE U.S. WELCOMES THE SIGNING OF A PEACE AGREEMENT
BETWEEN THE GOVERNMENT OF RWANDA AND THE RWANDAN PATRIOTIC
FRONT.
-- IMPLEMENTATION OF THIS AGREEMENT WILL PUT AN END TO
ONE OF AFRICA'S MOST DANGEROUS AND PERSISTENT CONFLICTS.
-- THE ACCORD WILL ALLOW THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS
DISPLACED BY THE WAR TO RETURN HOME AND WILL PERMIT THE
VOLUNTARY RETURN OF REFUGEES WHOSE PLIGHT HELPED FUEL THE
CONFLICT.
-- TODAY'S SIGNING IS AN HISTORIC STEP IN THE PROCESS OF
ETHNIC AND NATIONAL RECONCILIATION IN RWANDA. THESE
ACCORDS SHOULD GREATLY ENHANCE THE PROSPECTS FOR BOTH
ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AND THE NURTURING OF A STABLE
DEMOCRATIC GOVERNMENT IN RWANDA.
-- ON BEHALF OF THE USG, I WOULD LIKE TO CONGRATULATE
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PRESIDENT HABYARIMANA AND THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT AND ITS
NEGOTIATORS, AND COL. KANYARENGWE AND THE RPF NEGOTIATORS
FOR NEGOTIATING IN GOOD FAITH TO REACH AGREEMENT ON VERY
DIFFICULT ISSUES.
-- I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO CONGRATULATE THE TANZANIAN
GOVERNMENT AND PRESIDENT MWINYI FOR MEDIATING THE OFTEN
DIFFICULT NEGOTIATIONS. SPECIAL RECOGNITION SHOULD GO TO
FOREIGN MINISTER RWEGASIRA FOR BRINGING THE PARTIES
TOGETHER TO BRIDGE THE FINAL GAP.
-- THE ORGANIZATION OF AFRICAN UNITY AND RWANDA'S OTHER
NEIGHBORS IN THE REGION ALSO PLAYED A CRITICAL ROLE IN THE
PEACE PROCESS, BOTH AS OBSERVERS TO THE TALKS AND AS
CONTRIBUTORS TO THE NMOG.
-- THE U.S. BELIEVES IT IS IMPORTANT FOR AFRICAN PROBLEMS
TO BE SOLVED FIRST AND FOREMOST BY AFRICANS, AND THE
RWANDAN PEACE ACCORDS ARE AN EXCELLENT EXAMPLE OF THAT.
THE U.S., OF COURSE, STANDS BY TO ASSIST WHENEVER IT CAN.
-- THE U.S. WAS HONORED TO HAVE BEEN INVITED TO
PARTICIPATE AS AN OBSERVER TO THE NEGOTIATIONS, ALONG WITH
RWANDA'S OTHER FRIENDS AND SUPPORTERS IN THE WEST. WE
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HOPE THAT OUR ADVICE AND COUNSEL HELPED CLARIFY THE ISSUES
AND BRING THE PARTIES CLOSER TOGETHER.
-- OF COURSE, THIS IS NOT THE END OF THE PROCESS. IN
SOME SENSE, IT IS ONLY THE BEGINNING. THE BROAD-BASED
TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT MUST NOW BE FORMED, AND THE TWO
SIDES MUST LAY DOWN THEIR ARMS, INTEGRATE THEIR FORCES,
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AND REDUCE THEIR COMBINED FORCE LEVELS.
-- WE CALL ON ALL PARTIES TO COMPLETE THIS HISTORIC TASK,
IN THE SAME PRAGMATIC AND BENEVOLENT SPIRIT WHICH GUIDED
THEM TOWARD THE ACCORD THAT WAS JUST SIGNED. THE U.S.
WILL DO WHAT IT CAN TO ASSIST IN THIS DIFFICULT SECOND
STAGE, AND WE ARE SURE THAT RWANDA'S OTHER FRIENDS WILL
JOIN US, JUST AS THEY CONTRIBUTED TOWARD TODAY'S NOBLE
ACHIEVEMENT.
3. (C) THE FOLLOWING BACKGROUND AND POINTS ARE FOR USE IN
AMBASSADOR HOUDEK'S MEETINGS ON RWANDA WITH FRENCH
OFFICIALS DURING HIS RETURN STOP IN PARIS, SCHEDULED FOR
AUGUST 9:
BACKGROUND
A. (C) THERE ARE THREE MULTINATIONAL FORCES INVOLVED IN
OR PLANNED FOR RWANDA:
- THE OAU'S 50-MAN NEUTRAL MILITARY OBSERVER GROUP
(NMOG), WHICH INCLUDES TROOPS FROM NIGERIA, MALI, SENEGAL,
AND ZIMBABWE, AND REPRESENTATIVES OF THE RPF AND GOR. ITS
MANDATE HAS BEEN TO OBSERVE THE CEASEFIRE BETWEEN THE TWO
SIDES. THE OAU HAS PLANNED FOR SOME TIME TO EXPAND THE
FORCE TO 240, BUT RESOURCES ARE LIMITED.
- THE UN BORDER MONITORING FORCE (UNOMUR), APPROVED BY
JUNE 22 UNSC RESOLUTION 846, WHICH IS TO VERIFY THAT NO
MILITARY ASSISTANCE REACHES RWANDA FROM ACROSS THE UGANDA
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BORDER. SO FAR, THE PLANNED 81 UN BORDER MONITORS HAVE
NOT YET BEEN DEPLOYED BECAUSE UGANDA HAS NOT CONCLUDED THE
REQUIRED STATUS OF MISSION (SOMA) AGREEMENT WITH THE UN.
(AS YOU KNOW, FRANCE HAS BEEN THE DRIVING FORCE BEHIND
UNOMUR).
- THE NEUTRAL INTERNATIONAL FORCE (NIF), WHICH DOES NOT
EXIST YET BUT WHICH, UNDER THE PEACE ACCORDS, IS EXPECTED
TO HELP ASSURE SECURITY DURING THE TRANSITION PERIOD AND
OVERSEE FORCE DISENGAGEMENT, DISARMAMENT, FORCE
INTEGRATION, AND DEMOBILIZATION.
B. (C) THE PEACE ACCORDS PROVIDE FOR THE CREATION OF A
BROAD-BASED TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT WITH RPF
REPRESENTATION. THE BROAD-BASED TRANSITIONAL GOVERNMENT
IS SUPPOSED TO BE FORMED WITHIN 37 DAYS OF THE AUGUST 4
SIGNING OF THE PEACE ACCORDS, WHICH WOULD BE SEPTEMBER
10. AT PRESENT, THE NIF WOULD HAVE TO BE D
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