Citation
ROME, April 11 (Reuter) - Italy said on Monday it had flown 50
Europeans and a group of Rwandan nuns out of the central African nation
where thousands have died in a bout of tribal bloodletting over the
past few days.
A C-130 from the Italian air force left Kigali for Nairobi this
afternoon carrying 50 European Union citizens, including 21 Italians.
There was also a group of Rwandan nuns on baord,
the Italian foreign
ministry said in a statement.
Italy has sent three C-130 transport planes to Nairobi to join an
evacuation effort coordinated by American, French and Belgian troops.
Italy said at the weekend that around 190 of its citizens were in
Rwanda but the statement added some of these had already managed to get
out of the country on earlier airlifts.
The statement said the evacuations would continue as groups reached the
airport in the Rwandan capital Kigali.
Rwanda has a history of bloody clashes between rival Hutu and Tutsi
tribesmen. The latest killing started after President Juvenal
Habyarimana and his Burundi counterpart were killed in a rocket attack
on their plane last Wednesday.
His fiercely-loyal presidential guard unleashed a campaign of terror
against all Tutsis, suspected of involvement in the murder.
(c) Reuters Limited 1994
