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CONFIDENTIAL
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ACTION 10-16
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RELEASED IN PART
Bl, 1.4(B), 1.4(D)
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0 170122Z JUN 94
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE
SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7153
INFO JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
WHITEHOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
AMEMBASSY TUNIS
AMEMBASSY ACCRA
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
USMISSION GENEVA
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AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY DAKAR
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 002513
WHITEHOUSE PASS TO NSC FOR RICE AND STEINBERG;
JOINT STAFF FOR CHAIRMAN, DIR JS, J3;
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA
PARIS FOR PERLOW
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: ARCHIE M BOLSTER
CLASSIFICATION: CONFIDENTIAL REASON: 1.4(B), 1.4(D)
DECLASSIFY AFTER: 10 JUN 2016
DATE/CASE ID: 06 MAY 2011 201005065
UNCLASSIFIED
E.0.12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: MARK, PREL, PHUM, MOPS, FR, RW, UN
SUBJECT: FRANCE READY TO SEND TROOPS TO RWANDA
1.
CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARY: THE FRENCH PERMREP INFORMED THE PERMFIVE
THEY ARE READY TO DEPLOY TROOPS INTO RWANDA FOR TWO
MONTHS TO PROTECT THREATENED CIVILIANS IF FOUR
CONDITIONS ARE MET, THE MOST IMPORTANT OF WHICH IS
FINDING ANOTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRY TO GO IN WITH THEM.
THE OTHER P-5 HAD PRELIMINARY QUESTIONS AND
RESERVATIONS. JUST PRIOR TO THE P-5 MEETING, THE FRENCH
INFORMED THE NEW SRSG AND THE STAFF OF DPKO OF THEIR
DECISION TO DEPLOY. END SUMMARY.
3. FRENCH PERMREP MERIMEE CALLED A MEETING OF THE
PERMFIVE TO DISCUSS THE GOF DECISION TO DEPLOY TROOPS
INTO RWANDA. HE EXPLAINED THERE WERE FOUR CONDITIONS TO
FRENCH DEPLOYMENT -- A) NO CEASEFIRE HOLDING, B)
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KILLINGS CONTINUING, C) OTHER TROOPS HAVE NOT YET
ARRIVED, D) FINDING A EUROPEAN PARTNER. MERIMEE
EMPHASIZED THAT FRANCE WOULD NOT SEND TROOPS IN UNLESS
ANOTHER EUROPEAN COUNTRY ALSO SENT TROOPS. SENEGAL IS
ALSO READY TO GO, AND FRANCE IS LOOKING FOR AN
ANGLOPHONE AFRICAN COUNTRY AS WELL.
4. THE OBJECTIVE WOULD BE PURELY HUMANITARIAN, AS SET
OUT IN RESOLUTION 925, PARAGRAPH 4(A), TO PROTECT
THREATENED CIVILIAN POPULATIONS. FRANCE, SAID MERIM ► E,
HAS ABSOLUTELY NO POLITICAL AGENDA IN MIND. THE MISSION
WILL BE RISKY, BUT FRANCE WILL NOT HESITATE TO FIGHT, IF
NECESSARY, TO PREVENT FURTHER MASSACRES. THE RULES OF
ENGAGEMENT MUST BE EXTREMELY ROBUST. MERIMEE STRESSED
THAT THE TROOPS MUST BE UNDER NATIONAL COMMAND, ALTHOUGH
THEY WOULD COORDINATE CLOSELY WITH UNAMIR AND GENERAL
DALLAIRE. HOWEVER, FRANCE COULD NOT PUT ITS TROOPS INTO
A SITUATION WHERE THEY WOULD HAVE TO FIGHT UNDER A UN
CHAIN OF COMMAND. FRANCE IS READY TO FIGHT TUTU
MILITIAS IN ORDER TO PROTECT TUTSIS, AND IS ALSO READY
TO PROVIDE PROTECTION FOR UNAMIR, IF NECESSARY.
5. THE MAXIMUM DURATION OF THE MISSION WOULD BE TWO
MONTHS. THE FRENCH TROOPS WOULD FILL THE GAP UNTIL
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UNAMIR COULD BE FULLY DEPLOYED, AT WHICH TIME FRANCE
COULD LEAVE. MERIMEE TOLD THE FIVE THAT UN SYG
BOUTROS-GHALI WELCOMED THE INITIATIVE AND WANTED THE
KILLINGS TO STOP. THERE ARE TWO FORMULAS TO GIVE THIS
FRENCH OPERATION THE UN'S BLESSING: A) A SHORT SC
RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING MEMBER STATES TO TAKE ALL
NECESSARY MEASURES UNDER CHAPTER VII OF THE CHARTER TO
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CARRY OUT THE MANDATE OF RESOLUTION 925, OR B) A LETTER
FROM THE SYG TO THE SC APPOINTING A FRENCH COMMANDER AND
INTEGRATING THE FRENCH FORCES INTO UNAMIR. FRANCE DOES
NOT FAVOR THE SECOND APPROACH, SINCE THEY WILL NOT PUT
THEIR FORCES UNDER THE UN'S CHAIN OF COMMAND, EVEN WITH
A FRENCH FORCE COMMANDER, SINCE HE WOULD HAVE TO ANSWER
TO THE SRSG AND THE SYG. FRANCE SEEKS THE SUPPORT OF
THE P-5 FOR A FUTURE SC RESOLUTION, WHICH WOULD BE
INTRODUCED AS SOON AS THE FRENCH FOUND A EUROPEAN
PARTNER.
6. AFTER THE FRENCH PRESENTATION, THE OTHERS ASKED
QUESTIONS AND EXPRESSED CONCERNS. RUSSIA ASKED HOW MANY
TROOPS FRANCE WOULD SEND, BUT MERIMEE DID NOT KNOW.
USUN AMBASSADOR INDERFURTH ASKED WHICH EUROPEANS HAD
BEEN ASKED, AND WHAT THE LIKELIHOOD WAS OF FINDING ONE
WILLING TO GO. MERIMEE SAID ITALY, SPAIN, BELGIUM, UK,
AND ALL THE EU MEMBERS HAD BEEN APPROACHED. HE DID NOT
KNOW THE LIKELIHOOD OF A POSITIVE RESPONSE. THE UK
QUESTIONED THE RPF'S RESPONSE.
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INFO LOG-00 AF-01
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EAP-01 EB-01 EUR-01 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 L-01
ADS-00 NEA-01 NSAE-00 01C-02 01G-04 OMB-01 PA-01
PM-00 PRS-01 P-01 SB-00 SNP-00 SP-00 SR-00
SSO-00
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SNIS-00 NISC-02 PMB-00 PRME-01 DRL-09 G-01
/050W
52E892 170207Z /38
0 170122Z JUN 94
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO AMEMBASSY PARIS IMMEDIATE
SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 7154
INFO JOINT STAFF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
SECDEF WASHDC IMMEDIATE
WHITEHOUSE WASHDC IMMEDIATE
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
AMEMBASSY TUNIS
AMEMBASSY ACCRA
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
USMISSION GENEVA
CONFIDENTIAL
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USUN N 02513 02 OF 02 170206Z
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY DAKAR
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 02 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 002513
WHITEHOUSE PASS TO NSC FOR RICE AND STEINBERG;
JOINT STAFF FOR CHAIRMAN, DIR JS, J3;
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA
PARIS FOR PERLOW
E.0.12356: DECL:OADR
UNCLASSIFIED
TAGS: MARR, PREL, PHUM, MOPS, FR, RW, UN
SUBJECT: FRANCE READY TO SEND TROOPS TO RWANDA
TRYING TO CONVINCE THEM THEY WOULD PROTECT TUTSIS
AGAINST THE HUTUS, AND WOULD NOT INTERFERE IN THE
POLITICAL OR MILITARY SITUATION. MERIMEE HOPED THAT
WITH INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT, THE RPF COULD COME TO
UNDERSTAND AND ACCEPT THE OPERATION.
7. THE UK WENT ON TO POINT OUT THE DIFFICULTIES OF
RUNNING TWO SEPARATE INTERNATIONAL MILITARY OPERATIONS,
WITH DIFFERENT RULES OF ENGAGEMENT, AND DIFFERENT
COMMANDS, IN THE SAME COUNTRY. AMB HANNAY FOUND IT HARD
TO SEE HOW THE CHAPTER VI UN OPERATION COULD TAKE OVER
AT THE END OF THE FRENCH OPERATION, WITH A MANDATE AND
MEANS WHICH WOULD BE SEEN AS INADEQUATE. HE POINTED TO
THE EXPERIENCE IN SOMALIA AS A LESSON IN THE PITFALLS OF
SWITCHING FROM A NATIONAL TO A UN OPERATION. MERIMEE 1
1
/EXPLAINED THAT THE FRENCH WOULD FIGHT THEIR WAY IN,
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'PAVING THE WAY TO MAKE IT EASIER FOR THE UN.
8. AMB INDERFURTH NOTED THAT FM JUPPE AND SECRETARY
CHRISTOPHER WERE TO HAVE SPOKEN TODAY, BUT THAT USUN HAD
NO READ-OUT ON THE CONVERSATION AS YET. IN THE ABSENCE
OF FEED-BACK ON THAT CONVERSATION, HE COULD ONLY
REGISTER SOME PRELIMINARY CONCERNS./ INDERFURTH OBSERVED
THAT THE FRENCH OFFER MIGHT SLOW DOWN THE MOMENTUM THAT
WAS JUST STARTING TO BUILD AROUND DEPLOYMENT OF UNAPITM.
HE EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT TROOP CONTRIBUTORS OR
EQUIPMENT DONORS MIGHT HESITATE NOW, WAITING TO SEE WHAT
WOULD DEVELOP IN RELATION TO FRENCH
DEPLOYMENT./ HE ARGUED FORCEFULLY FOR CONTINUING
UNABATED ALL EFFORTS TO GET UNAMIR EQUIPPED AND DEPLOYED
AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. 'THE FRENCH DEPUTY PR WRYLY NOTED
THAT, ONCE IN RWANDA, IT WOULD BECOME FRANCE'S HIGHEST
PRIORITY TO ENSURE THAT OTHERS MADE AVAILABLE THE TROOPS
THAT WOULD ALLOW FRANCE TO DEPART.
9. RUSSIA REASONED THAT IF FRANCE HAD TO FIGHT ONE
SIDE, HOSTILITY TOWARDS UNAMIR COULD ARISE, MAKING IT
NECESSARY TO CHANGE UNAMIR FROM A CHAPTER VI TO A
CHAPTER VII OPERATION. CHINA QUESTIONED WHY FRANCE
COULD NOT GO TO RWANDA AS PART OF UNAMIR, AND ASKED
ABOUT THE REACTION OF THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT OF RWANDA.
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