Citation
UNITED NATIONS, April 7 (Reuter) - The United Nations sent 2,519 troops
from 23 countries to the central African country of Rwanda over the
last few months to prevent civil war from breaking out again between
the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic groups.
But the bloodletting on the streets of the Rwandan capital of Kigali
Wednesday and Thursday has engulfed U.N. soldiers who were guarding
government officials as well as a barrack housing the rebel Rwanda
Patriotic Front troops.
There were reports from Kigali that least 11 Belgian U.N. peacekeepers
were shot and killed by members of the presidential guard in the
Rwandan capital after being disarmed.
Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, 57, and Burundi President
Cyprien Ntaryamira, 38, were killed late Wednesday when rockets downed
their plane. They were Hutus, the majority tribe in both countries long
at odds with the Tutsi minority.
A U.N. spokesman in Kigali said Rwandan Prime Minister Agathe
Uwilingiyimana was killed Thursday near the presidential palace. U.N.
officials in New York said she was under U.N. escort at the time, fled
into a U.N. Development Programme compound and was dragged out and
killed.
Only Tuesday, the Security Council adopted a resolution extending the
mandate for the Rwanda U.N. operation for another six months. But the
15-member body warned that unless peace agreements were honoured and a
stable government and assembly were in place, it would withdraw the
contingents.
U.N. officials Thursday said they were trying to get goverment, army,
police and rebels leaders together to restore order. But there was no
word if the troops would stay or be withdrawn.
Following are the 23 countries with U.N. troops and military observers
-- lightly armed officers -- in Rwanda:
INFANTRY BATTALIONS:
1. Bangladesh - 937
2. Ghana - 841
3. Belgium - 428
SUPPORT TROOPS AND MILITARY OBSERVERS:
4. Tunisia - 60
5. Senegal - 39
6. Zimbabwe - 29
7. Egypt - 26
8. Uruguay - 25
9. Austria - 15
10. Nigeria - 15
11. Russia - 15
12. Togo - 15
13. Brazil - 13
14. Congo - 10
15. Mali - 10
16. Netherlands - 10
17. Botswana - 9
18. Poland - 5
19. Malawi - 5
20. Slovakia - 5
21. Hungary - 4
22. Canada - 2
23. Fiji - 1
(c) Reuters Limited 1994
