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3BEAD3 141502Z /38
O 141459Z APR 94
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9950
INFO USIA WASHDC
SECDEF WASHDC
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK'
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
USDA() LILONGWE MI
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY LONDON
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 01 OF 03 KAMPALA 002968
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LONDON FOR MCKINLEY
E.O. 12356: OADR
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PREF, RW, UG
SUBJECT: TFRWOL: RPF LAUNCHES DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE
1.
CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARY: PATRICK MAZIMHAKA AND DR. ERICK
RWAMASIRABO OF THE RWANDAN PATRIOTIC FRONT (RPF)
CALLED ON THE AMBASSADOR APRIL 13 TO EXPLAIN THE
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: HARRY R MELONE
DATE/CASE ID: 14 DEC 2006 200503196
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
RPF'S CURRENT POSITION ON RWANDA. THE RPF BLAMES
PRESIDENTIAL GUARD (PG) FORCES FOR THE CARNAGE IN
KIGALI AND BELIEVES THAT THE PG DELIBERATELY TARGETED
THE "POLITICAL CLASS" (BOTH HUTU AND TUTSI) FOR
ASSASSINATION. THE RPF WILL SOON TAKE CONTROL OF
KIGALI AND PLANS TO WORK WITH UNAMIR TO RE-ESTABLISH
SECURITY IN THE CITY. THE AMBASSADOR URGED AN EARLY
CEASEFIRE AND OPEN, PUBLIC INVESTIGATIONS OF THE
CAUSES OF THE TRAGIC EVENTS IN RWANDA. THE RPF
REPRESENTATIVES HAD ALSO MET WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION
AMBASSADORS IN KAMPALA, AND PLAN TO MEET WITH
PRESIDENTS MUSEVENI AND MWINYI, AND WITH OAU
SECRETARY GENERAL SALIM SALIM IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
END SUMMARY.
3. PATRICK MAZIMHAKA, VICE CHAIRMAN, AND DR. ERICK
RWAMASIRABO OF THE RWANDAN PATRIOTIC FRONT CALLED ON
THE AMBASSADOR APRIL 13 AT THE RESIDENCE. POLITICAL
OFFICER BEIK SAT IN ON THE MEETING. THE RPF
REPRESENTATIVES HAD MET WITH THE EUROPEAN UNION
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AMBASSADORS IN KAMPALA JUST PRIOR TO THIS MEETING AND
SAID THEY HOPED TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT MUSEVENI THE
NEXT DAY. THEY PLANNED TO TRAVEL TO DAR ES SALAAM
AND ADDIS ABABA TO MEET WITH PRESIDENT MWINYI AND OAU
SECRETARY GENERAL SALIM SALIM IN THE NEXT FEW DAYS.
4. THE RPF WILL TAKE CONTROL OF KIGALI SOON,
MAZIMHAKA SAID. THEIR TROOPS ARE IN THE CITY AND IT
WILL BE EASIER TO RESTORE ORDER NOW THAT THE
SO-CALLED "INTERIM GOVERNMENT" HAS FLED. HE
DESCRIBED THE RWANDAN ARMY AS CROSSING THE BORDER TO
ZAIRE IN THE WEST, BUT HE COULD NOT PREDICT WHAT THE
ARMY TROOPS WILL DO IN KIGALI. HE HOPED THAT THE
ARMY WOULD NOT "FAN OUT" INTO THE COUNTRYSIDE
INSTIGATING. MORE ETHNIC BLOODSHED.
5. THE RPF RECOGNIZES THE CRUCIAL ROLE THAT UNAMIR
COULD PLAY IN RESTORING PUBLIC ORDER AND PUBLIC
CONFIDENCE. THE RPF HAS BEGUN DISCUSSIONS WITH
UNAMIR IN KIGALI. THE AMBASSADOR INQUIRED ABOUT A
CEASEFIRE. MAZIMHAKA SAID UNAMIR COMMANDER DALLAIRE
HAS TALKED IN TERMS OF A SERIES OF LOCAL TRUCES,
WHICH MAZIMHAKA FINDS MORE PRACTICAL THAN A GENERAL
DECLARATION OF A CEASEFIRE. THE AMBASSADOR
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
EMPHASIZED THE IMPORTANCE OF STOPPING THE BLOODSHED
AND ESTABLISHING A CEASEFIRE SO THAT ORDER CAN BE
RE-ESTABLISHED IN THE CITY.
6. MAZIMHAKA SAID THE EUROPEAN AMBASSADORS HAD ASKED
WHETHER THE RPF WOULD PERMIT AN INTERNATIONAL
INVESTIGATION OF THE PLANE CRASH THAT CAUSED THE
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DEATHS OF THE RWANDAN AND BURUNDIAN PRESIDENTS. THE
RPF WOULD WELCOME SUCH AN INVESTIGATION, HE DECLARED,
SINCE MANY COUNTRIES HAD SIGNIFICANT INTERESTS IN THE
CAUSE OF THE CRASH, PARTICULARLY BURUNDI, FRANCE AND
TANZANIA. THE AMBASSADOR NOTED THAT THERE HAVE BEEN
MANY THEORIES ON THE CRASH, FROM ANTI-AIRCRAFT
ROCKETS TO BOMBS STOWED ABOARD THE PLANE, AND IT IS
CRUCIAL THAT THE RECOVERY OF THE BLACK BOX AND OTHER
EVIDENCE BE OPEN AND PUBLIC. MAZIMHAKA SAID THE RPF
TROOPS THAT WERE IN THEIR BARRACKS ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF A HILL FROM THE AIRPORT HAD SEEN THE PLANE EXPLODE
IN THE AIR, BUT HEARD MORTAR FIRE AFTER IT CRASHED.
WHEN THE RPF SECURES THE SITE, HE SAID, THEY WOULD
REQUEST UNAMIR TO HELP THEM RECOVER THE EVIDENCE,
UNLIKE THE RWANDAN ARMY WHICH DENIED ACCESS TO THE
SITE.
7. THE RPF BLAMES THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD AND LEADERS
SUCH AS COL. BAGOSORA (CABINET DIRECTOR FOR THE
MINISTER OF DEFENSE) F
OR DIRECTING THE VIOLENCE THAT
FOLLOWED THE DEATH OF PRESIDENT HABYARIMANA.
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FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9951
INFO USIA WASHDC
SECDEF WASHDC
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
USDAO LILONGWE MI
AMEMBASSY PARIS
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LONDON FOR MCKINLEY
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TAGS: PREL, PINS, PREF, RW, UG
SUBJECT: TFRWOL: RPF LAUNCHES DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE
MAZIMHAKA SAID THAT THE "POLITICAL CLASS" (BOTH HUTU
AND TUTSI) HAD BEEN TARGETTED IN THE KILLINGS,
INCLUDING MINISTERS, PERMANENT SECRETARIES, AND THE
LEADERS OF THE POLITICAL PARTIES. HE SAID THAT MOST
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
OF THE SENIOR LEADERS OF THE PSD, PL AND MDR HAD BEEN
KILLED IN THE VIOLENCE. THE SO-CALLED "INTERIM
GOVERNMENT" WAS PRACTICALLY IDENTICAL TO THE SLATE OF
MINISTERS PROPOSED BY HARYARIMANA AT THE END OF
FEBRUARY. MAZIMHAKA SPECULATED THAT THE PRESIDENT
GUARD HAD CONCEIVED A PLAN OF SYSTEMATIC POLITICAL
ASSASSINATION IN FEBRUARY (WHICH BEGAN WITH THE
MURDER OF THE SOCIALIST PARTY LEADER), AND PUT IT
INTO ACTION IN A PANIC LAST WEEK. HE ASSERTED THAT
THE POLITICAL MURDERS HAPPENED TOO QUICKLY TO HAVE
BEEN SPONTANEOUS. THE BULK OF THE ARMY MAY NOT HAVE
PARTICIPATED DIRECTLY, HE SAID, BUT THE ARMY DID NOT
STOP THE CARNAGE. WHEN THE RPF BEGAN ITS ADVANCE
FROM THE NORTH, THE ARMY HAD FOUGHT THEM ON ALL
FRONTS.
8. MAZIMHAKA STATED THAT THE ETHNIC VIOLENCE IN
RWANDA HAS ALWAYS BEEN AT THE INSTIGATION OF PEOPLE
IN AUTHORITY. RWANDANS ARE AFRAID OF PEOPLE IN
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AUTHORITY, HE SAID, AND WOULD RESPECT THE RESTORATION
OF ORDER WHEN A NEW GOVERNMENT IS IN PLACE. LEADERS
HAVE DELIBERATELY INCITED ETHNIC HATRED FOR THEIR OWN
PURPOSES, HE SAID. THE ETHNIC SLAUGHTER HAS ALWAYS
BEEN PROVOKED BY SOMEONE; PEOPLE DO NOT JUST GO OUT
AND KILL EACH OTHER. DR. RWAMASIRABO NOTED THAT IT
IS A TRAGIC FACT OF LIFE IN RWANDA THAT MASS KILLINGS
ARE ACCEPTED BY THE POPULATION AS PART OF POLITICS.
IT IS NOT RIGHT, HE SAID, BUT PEOPLE ACCEPT IT; NO
ONE HAS EVER BEEN JAILED, HE MAINTAINED, FOR THE MASS
KILLINGS IN INDEPENDENT RWANDA'S HISTORY. THE
AMBASSADOR RESPONDED THAT SUCH A POLITICAL CLIMATE IS
SIMPLY NOT ACCEPTABLE IN TODAY'S WORLD, AND THAT ANY
FUTURE NATIONAL ARMY IN RWANDA WILL HAVE TO FOCUS ON
TRAINING ITS MEMBERS TO RESPECT HUMAN RIGHTS.
9. THE AMBASSADOR INQUIRED ABOUT THE RECENT UGANDAN
PRESS REPORTS OF SHELLING ACROSS THE UGANDAN BORDER.
MAZIMHAKA SAID THAT THE FIGHTING BETWEEN THE RPF AND
THE GOVERNMENT ARMY HAD TOUCHED THE UGANDAN BORDERS
BUT THAT THE RPF IS NOW FIRMLY IN CONTROL. POLOFF
ASKED ABOUT THE MULTIPLE GROUPS OF REFUGEES IN AND
OUT OF RWANDA. MAZIMHAKA SAID THAT SOME SMALL
NUMBERS OF REFUGEES HAD FLED RWANDA FOR ZAIRE BUT
THAT HE DID NOT EXPECT HUGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE TO
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
MIGRATE. BURUNDI HAD NOT ACCEPTED A PLANELOAD OF
REFUGEES FROM RWANDA WHO ARE CURRENTLY STUCK AT THE
AIRPORT IN BUJUMBURA, HE SAID. SOME INTERNALLY
DISPLACED RWANDANS HAD MOVED BACK INTO RPF
TERRITORITY FOR SAFETY, RWAMASIRABO NOTED, BUT FEW
WOULD CROSS INTO UGANDA. THE BURUNDIAN REFUGEES IN
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SOUTHERN RWANDA SHOULD BE GUARANTEED SAFETY,
MAZIMHAKA SAID; THE RPF WOULD SEEK TO ASSURE THEM
THAT THEY WERE NOT PART OF THE RWANDAN CONFLICT.
10. THE RPF STILL BELIEVES THAT THE ARUSHA ACCORDS
CAN FORM THE BASIS OF A NEW GOVERNMENT, THE
REPRESENTATIVES STATED. THEY HAD HEARD FROM THE
TRANSITIONAL PRIME MINISTER TWO DAYS EARLIER AND
HOPED THAT HE IS STILL ALIVE. SO MANY PARTY LEADERS
HAD BEEN KILLED, THE RPF IS NOT SURE WHO WILL BE
THERE TO WORK WITH, BUT THEY INTEND TO START WITH THE
ACCORD AND THE REMAINING POLITICAL PARTIES TO FORM A
NEW GOVERNMENT. MAZIMHAKA SAID THAT TRUE DEMOCRACY
IS THE ONLY HOPE FOR RWANDA. MANY PEOPLE DID NOT
BELIEVE THAT THE RPF WAS DEMOCRATIC, CHARACTERIZING
IT AS AN ETHNIC TUTSI ORGANIZATION, MAZIMHAKA SAID,
BUT WHAT THE RPF STANDS FOR IS FREEDOM. PEOPLE
SHOULD BE ABLE TO CHOOSE THEIR LEADERS AND TO FORM
PARTIES, RESPECTING THE RIGHTS OF OTHERS. MAZIMHAKA
SAID HE FOUND IT A MISTAKE THAT THE NEW CONSTITUTION
IN BURUNDI INSTITUTIONALIZED THE ETHNIC DIVISIONS
BETWEEN HUTUS AND TUTSIS. "WE SHOULD NOT ENSHRINE
OUR DIFFERENCES," HE SAID, "BUT ALL WORK TOGETHER."
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3BEB03 141503Z /38
O 141459Z APR 94
FM AMEMBASSY KAMPALA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9952
INFO USIA WASHDC
SECDEF WASHDC
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
USDA() LILONGWE MI
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
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LONDON FOR MCKINLEY
E.O. 12356: OADR
TAGS: PREL, PINS, PREF, RW, UG
SUBJECT: TFRWOL: RPF LAUNCHES DIPLOMATIC OFFENSIVE
11. THE AMBASSADOR CLOSED THE MEETING BY SAYING THAT
WE HAVE NOT YET RECEIVED ANY MESSAGES FROM WASHINGTON
FOR THE RPF, BUT
THAT HE WOULD URGE THEM TO:
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
-- ESTABLISH AND HONOR A CEASEFIRE AS SOON AS
POSSIBLE. THE MASSIVE KILLINGS AND VIOLENCE MUST
STOP AND SECURITY BE ESTABLISHED IN KIGALI.
-- WORK WITH GENERAL DALLAIRE AND UNAMIR IN RESTORING
PUBLIC ORDER AND CONFIDENCE. THE RPF SHOULD MAKE ITS
DESIRE FOR UNAMIR'S HELP KNOWN.
-- PERMIT AN OPEN INVESTIGATION OF WHAT WENT SO
TERRIBLY WRONG IN KIGALI, INCLUDING A FULL AND
INDEPENDENT INVESTIGATION OF THE APRIL 6 CRASH.
- - AVOID ANY MILITARY ENGAGEMENT OR CONFRONTATION
WITH FRENCH TROOPS IN KIGALI.
MAZIMEAKA THANKED THE AMBASSADOR FOR HIS OPEN
12.
DOOR AND SAID THE RPF WOULD BE CONSULTING WITH
REGIONAL LEADERS AND THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY IN
THE DAYS AHEAD.
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13. COMMENT: WE HAVE MAINTAINED CONTINUOUS LINKS
WITH THE RPF REPRESENTATIVES IN KAMPALA OVER THE PAST
TWO PLUS YEARS, AND EXPECT TO CONTINUE TO SEE THEM AS
THE RWANDA CRISIS EVENTS UNFOLD. THE EMBASSY WOULD
APPRECIATE A READOUT ON WHAT POLICY DIRECTIONS TOWARD
RWANDA ARE BEING CONSIDERED. IN ADDITION TO THE
POINTS MADE BY THE AMBASSADOR (PARA 11), WE THINK
WASHINGTON SHOULD MOVE EXPEDITIOUSLY TO ASK
PRESIDENTS MUSEVENI, MWINYI, AND MOI:
- - TO RECONVENE ANOTHER REGIONAL SUMMIT ON
RWANDA/BURUNDI,
-- TO JOINTLY CALL FOR AN IMMEDIATE CEASEFIRE, AND
-- TO ISSUE A CALL AND PROVIDE A FORUM FOR THE
WARRING FACTIONS IN RWANDA TO MEET.
14. COMMENT CONTINUED: IT MIGHT ALSO BE APPROPRIATE
FOR THE U.N. SECRETARY GENERAL'S REPRESENTATIVE AND
POSSIBLY SOMEONE FROM THE USG TO SIT IN THE MARGINS
OF THIS MEETING. SOME CONSIDERATION MIGHT BE GIVEN
TO FRENCH AND BELGIAN OBSERVERS BEING PRESENT, BUT
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
THE POLICIES OF BOTH COUNTRIES HAVE BEEN TARNISHED BY
THEIR PAST RELATIONSHIPS IN RWANDA. END COMMENT.
15. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED.
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