Citation
UNITED NATIONS, April 25 (Reuter) - Human Rights Watch, a prominent
rights organisation, appealed Monday to the widow of Rwandan President
Juvenal Habyarimana to use her influence with military commanders to
halt the massacre of tens of thousands of her countrymen.
She fled to Paris with several relatives when the slaughter began,
after her husband and President Cyprien Ntaryamira of neighbouring
Burundi were killed April 6 when their plane was brought down as it was
landing in Kigali.
Human Rights Watch, in a letter to Mrs Habyarimana, said that in view
of her enormous prestige
with such officers as army commander
Augustin Bizimungu, the head of the presidential guard and other
military leaders, a strong public appeal from her would have great
effect in ending the massacres.
The letter cited eyewitness accounts from hundreds of sources as
establishing without any doubt that members of the presidential guard,
the regular army and party militias were responsible for the slaughter.
It said these killings were completely separate from any combat with
the rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front and were taking place where there was
absolutely no military conflict.
(c) Reuters Limited 1994
