Citation
BRUSSELS, April 14 (Reuter) - Belgian foreign minister Willy Claes said
on Thursday that Belgium had decided to withdraw its contingent of
United Nations peacekeepers from war-torn Rwanda.
The Belgian blue helmets will stay under no circumstances,
Claes told
a news conference. No matter what the decision of the (U.N.) Security
Council may be, they will not continue to take part in the (U.N.
operation).
Claes said the peacekeeping mission of the U.N. no longer had a purpose
because it was originally meant to implement a peace agreement signed
last year.
He said the presence of the Blue Helmets had been unable to prevent the
deaths of tens of thousands of people and there was such an
anti-Belgian climate in the country that Belgium could no longer take
the responsibilty of endangering its soldiers further.
We do not believe that the presence of the Blue Helmets in the current
situation makes any sense,
he said.
U.N. Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali said on Wednesday he was notified
of Belgium's intention to pull its contingent out of Rwanda when he met
Claes in Bonn on Tuesaday.
(c) Reuters Limited 1994
