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CONFIDENTIAL
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ACTION 10-16
USUN N
INFO
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P 062336Z JUL 94
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7567
INFO AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
AMEMBASSY ACCRA
USMISSION GENEVA
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY DAKAR
JOINT STAFF WASHDC
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
AMEMBASSY TUNIS
SECDEF WASHDC
WHITEHOUSE WASHDC
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
CONFIDENTIAL
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USUN N 02788 01 OF 02 062339Z
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AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 01 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 002788
WHITEHOUSE PASS TO NSC FOR RICE AND STEINBERG;
JOINT STAFF FOR CHAIRMAN, DIR M, J3;
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA
PARIS FOR PERLOW
E.0.12356: N/A
TAGS: MARR, PREL, PHUM, MOPS, FR, RW, UN
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: HARRY R MELONE
DATE/CASE ID: 24 MAR 2006 200103014
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
SUBJECT: RWANDA: FRENCH REASSURE SC ABOUT HUMANITARIAN
ZONE
REF: A) USUN/DEPT FAX 7/5, B) USUN/DEPT FAX 7/6
1. SUMMARY: THE SECURITY COUNCIL JULY 6 DISCUSSED THE
FRENCH PLAN TO ESTABLISH A HUMANITARIAN SAFE ZONE IN
RWANDA, AS DESCRIBED IN FRENCH AMBASSADOR MERIMEE'S
LETTER TO THE SYG OF JULY 1 (REF A). MANY STRESSED TO
THE FRENCH THE NEED TO MAINTAIN STRICT NEUTRALITY AND
DEMILITARIZATION WITHIN THE ZONE. THE COUNCIL IS
RESPONDING TO THE SYG'S TRANSMITTAL OF THE FRENCH LETTER
WITH AN EXTREMELY SHORT, NON-SUBSTANTIVE LETTER
ACKNOWLEDGING RECEIPT. AMB GHAREKHAN WILL ORALLY BRIEF
THE COUNCIL ON JULY 7, AS REQUIRED BY SC RESOLUTION 929,
ON IMPLEMENTATION OF THE FRENCH OPERATION. END SUMMARY.
2. A REPORT FROM FRANCE ON OPERATION TURQUOISE, AS
REQUIRED BY RESOLUTION 929, WAS CIRCULATED TO COUNCIL
MEMBERS JULY 7 (REF B). IN ADDITION, AMB MERIMEE OF
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FRANCE BRIEFED THE COUNCIL ON THE ESTABLISHMENT OF A
HUMANITARIAN ZONE IN SOUTHWESTERN RWANDA. MERIMEE
EXPLAINED THE FRENCH HAD TO TAKE ACTION SWIFTLY IN THE
FACE OF A MASSIVE EXODUS OF CIVILIANS FROM THE
APPROACHING RPF. THE HUMANITARIAN SAFE ZONE WAS
ESTABLISHED UNDER AUTHORIZATION OF PARAGRAPHS 2 AND 3 OF
RESOLUTION 929, AND PARAGRAPH 4A OF RESOLUTION 925. THE
ZONE EXTENDS FROM CYANGUGU DISTRICT TO GIKONGORO
DISTRICT TO THE N'DABA PASS JUST NORTH OF KIBUYE. SOME
500,000 DISPLACED ARE IN THAT AREA. THE ZONE WILL NOT
INCLUDE GISENYI, WHERE THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT HAS ITS
HEADQUARTERS.
3. MERIMEE STRESSED THAT THE USE OF FORCE WITHIN THE
ZONE WAS COMPLETELY BANNED. THIS PROHIBITION COVERS THE
GOR FORCES, THE RPF, AND THE MILITIAS. ALSO, THE ZONE
MAY NOT BE USED AS A STAGING BASE FOR MILITARY
OPERATIONS, OR A PLACE FOR TROOPS TO REST AND REGROUP.
THE AREA WILL BE COMPLETELY NEUTRAL IN MILITARY TERMS,
MERIMEE EMPHASIZED. SINCE THE ZONE WAS ESTABLISHED ON
JULY 4, THE FRENCH TROOPS HAVE DISARMED SOME MILITIAS
WHO TRIED TO HARM CIVILIANS. MERIMEE ASSURED THE
COUNCIL THE FRENCH WOULD NOT BECOME AN INTERPOSITION
FORCE. THEY WILL NOT AID THE GOR, WHOSE TROOPS ARE
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
MAINLY IN THE NORTHWEST OF RWANDA, OUTSIDE OF THE ZONE.
4. MERIMEE TOLD THE COUNCIL THAT RPF LEADER GENERAL
KAGAME AND UGANDAN PRESIDENT MUSEVENI WERE INFORMED OF
THE PLANS TO SET UP THE ZONE, AND DID NOT OBJECT.
FRANCE IS DISCUSSING THE MODALITIES OF THE ZONE WITH THE
RPF. FRANCE IS NOT SEEKING A CONFRONTATION WITH THE
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RPF. IN FACT, MERIMEE NOTED, FRENCH RELATIONS WITH THE
RPF WERE IMPROVING DAILY, WHILE THEY WERE DETERIORATING
WITH THE GOR.
5. FRANCE APPEALED TO HUMANITARIAN ORGANIZATIONS TO BE
MORE ACTIVE IN THE ZONE, AND INVITED THE SPECIAL
RAPPORTEUR FOR HUMAN RIGHTS TO VISIT IN ORDER TO OBTAIN
TESTIMONY REGARDING WAR CRIMINALS. MERIMEE PLEDGED THAT
FRANCE WOULD NOT GIVE PROTECTION TO THOSE RESPONSIBLE
FOR WAR CRIMES, AND WOULD COOPERATE FULLY WITH THE HUMAN
RIGHTS SPECIAL RAPPORTEUR AND THE COMMISSION OF
EXPERTS. IN CLOSING, HE STRESSED THE NEED FOR DONORS TO
MAKE EQUIPMENT AVAILABLE FOR UNAMIR, SO IT COULD DEPLOY
QUICKLY, BEFORE OPERATION TURQUOISE TIME LIMIT RAN OUT.
6. USUN AMBASSADOR INDERFURTH EXPRESSED APPRECIATION
FOR MERIMEE'S CLARIFICATIONS, ESPECIALLY ON THE POINTS
OF NOT BECOMING AN INTERPOSITION FORCE AND AVOIDING
CONFLICT WITH THE RPF. INDERFURTH UNDERSCORED THE
HUMANITARIAN NATURE OF THE FRENCH MANDATE, THE NEED TO
KEEP MILITARY ACTIVITIES OUT OF THE ZONE, AND KEEPING
THE SIZE OF THE ZONE ONLY AS LARGE AS NECESSARY. MANY
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USUN N 02788 02 OF 02 062339Z
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/048W
5992EB 062341Z /38
P 0623362 JUL 94
FM USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 7568
INFO AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
AMEMBASSY ACCRA
USMISSION GENEVA
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY DAKAR
JOINT STAFF WASHDC
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
AMEMBASSY ISLAMABAD
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
AMEMBASSY TUNIS
SECDEF WASHDC
WHITEHOUSE WASHDC
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE
UN SECURITY COUNCIL COLLECTIVE
CONFIDENTIAL
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USUN N 02788 02 OF 02 062339Z
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AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 02 OF 02 USUN NEW YORK 002788
WHITEHOUSE PASS TO NSC FOR RICE AND STEINBERG;
JOINT STAFF FOR CHAIRMAN, DIR JS, J3;
SECDEF FOR OSD/ISA
PARIS FOR PERLOW
E.0.12356: N/A
TAGS: MARR, PREL, PHUM, MOPS, FR, RW, UN
SUBJECT: RWANDA: FRENCH REASSURE SC ABOUT HUMANITARIAN
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
ZONE
OTHER MEMBERS OF THE COUNCIL ECHOED CONCERNS ABOUT
DEMILITARIZATION OF THE ZONE. THOSE COUNTRIES WHICH
ABSTAINED ON RESOLUTION 929 (NIGERIA, BRAZIL, NEW
ZEALAND, CHINA) MADE A POINT OF SAYING THE COUNCIL HAD
NOT TAKEN ACTION TO AUTHORIZE THE FRENCH ZONE, ALTHOUGH
NO ONE VOICED ACTIVE OPPOSITION TO THE FRENCH MOVE.
THEY, AND OTHERS, EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT THE FRENCH
REMAIN STRICTLY NEUTRAL. SEVERAL ALSO NOTED THAT THE
ZONE SEEMED RATHER LARGE, COVERING 15
OF RWANDA'S
TERRITORY.
7. COUNCIL PRESIDENT (PAKISTAN) TOLD OF RPF
DECLARATIONS THAT THEY WOULD NAME A GOVERNMENT OF
NATIONAL UNITY, BASED ON THE ARUSHA FRAMEWORK, WITHIN A
FEW DAYS. (COMMENT: RPF REPRESENTATIVE IN NEW YORK
SOUGHT A MEETING WITH AMB INDERFURTH JULY 5 TO CONVEY
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THE SAME MESSAGE. END COMMENT) U/SYG GHAREKHAN
INFORMED THE SC THAT THE RPF HAD TAKEN KIGALI, WHICH WAS
NOT CALM- HOSTILE BROADCASTS AGAINST UNAMIR HAD STOPPED
FOR THE PAST 24 HOURS. THE NEW SRSG, SHAHRYAR KHAN, HAD
BEGUN DISCUSSIONS WITH RPF AND GOR LEADERS, AND TOURED
KIGALI. KIGALI HAS NO WATER, ELECTRICITY, MARKETS, FOOD
TO BUY, OR TRANSPORTATION. GHAREKHAN ALSO SAID UNAMIR
HAD SET UP COORDINATING MECHANISMS WITH OPERATION
TURQUOISE. FOUR MILITARY OBSERVERS WERE SENT FROM
UNAMIR TO FRENCH HQ IN GOMA, ZAIRE. GENERAL DALLAIRE
WOULD TRAVEL TO GOMA SOON FOR HIS SECOND MEETING WITH
THE FRENCH FORCE COMMANDER.
MINIMIZE CONSIDERED
GNEHM
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