Citation
Rwanda's disintegrating government is reported to have fled its last
temporary refuge near Gitarama, south of the capital Kigali, in the
face of a relentless rebel advance.
One officer of the rebel Rwanda Patriotic Front said his men could walk
into Kigali at any time but there was nothing left worth taking there
except a few monuments, a few buildings
.
Diplomats said most government ministers and senior officials had left
a former civil servants' college near Gitarama which served as their
headquarters. They escaped by road and helicopter to the
government-held western city of Kibuye on the shores of Lake Kivu,
facing eastern Zaire. Most of the government has gone to Kibuye and
others are already abroad,
a diplomat said. He added that the main
thrust appeared to be moving on Gitarama.
The Rwandan government's hold on Kigali also began to crack last night
as tens of thousands of soldiers, civilians and militiamen flooded out
of the capital as the rebels took over most of the suburbs. As the
rebels advanced they captured a few members of the murderous militias
responsible for killing about 500,000 people since April 6.
Security problems have forced the United Nations to suspend the
evacuation of civilians trapped in Kigali.
Government and rebel front delegations are due to meet for ceasefire
talks today.
By Sam Kiley in Kigali.
