Citation
BONN, April 13 (Reuter) - Eleven German radio workers trapped in the
Rwandan capital Kigali by heavy fighting and mined roads on Wednesday
were rescued by Belgian troops, German Foreign Minister Klaus Kinkel
said.
Kinkel said in a statement that the Germans, staff members of Germany's
Deutsche Welle radio, were flown out of Kigali after spending nearly a
week hiding in their Kigali office.
My deepest gratitude goes to the Belgian government and the Belgian
troops whose courageous mission saved our German citizens,
he said.
I am deeply relieved that the Germans, who had been trapped in an area
of extremely heavy fighting, could be flown out.
The foreign ministry believes all German nationals known to be living
in Rwanda have now left the country, where the killing of the
presidents of Burundi and Rwanda a week ago sparked ethnic violence in
which many thousands of people died.
About 200 of the estimated 300 Germans resident in Rwanda fled via
neighbouring Burundi.
(c) Reuters Limited 1994
