Citation
UNCLASSIFIED
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ORIGIN AF-01
STATE 114677 011733Z
OASY-00 DODE-00
INFO LOG-00 AID-01 ANAD-01 CIAE-00 C-01
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TEDE-00 INR-00 10-16
DOEE-00 EUR-01 HA-09
ADS-00 NEA-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 01C-02 OMB-01
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DRAFTED BY: AF:PBUSHNELL:JMG
APPROVED BY: AF:PBUSHNELL
41F50C 011735Z /38
P 011734Z MAY 94
FM SECSTATE WASHDC
TO AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY
INFO AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY CAIRO PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY YAOUNDE FRIORITY
CONFIDENTIALSTATE 114677
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
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TAGS: PREL, ET, TZ, UG, BY, CG, EG, FR, BE, SZ
SUBJECT: GOR CHIEF OF STATE BIZIMUNGO TO RESPECT
CEASE-FIRE AND STOP MASSACRES IF RPF DOES SAME
1.
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2. IN AN EARLY MORNING TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH DAS
BUSHNELL ON MAY 1, GOR GENERAL BIZIMUNGO RELUCTANTLY
REITERATED HIS EARLIER CLAIM THAT THE GOR WOULD STOP THE
MASSACRE OF CIVILIANS WITHIN 48 HOURS OF A CEASE-FIRE IF
THE RPF WOULD AGREE TO DO THE SAME. ACCORDING THE
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: HARMON E KIRBY
DATE/CASE ID: 09 JAN 2008 200103014
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
BIZIMUNGO, FIGHTING WAS GOING ON IN KIGALI, THE MASSACRES
BEHIND GOR LINES WERE "80 PERCENT" OVER BUT INNOCENT
CIVILIANS WERE BEING KILLED IN RPF-CONTROLLED TERRITORY.
THE COS CONFIRMED THAT A GOR TEAM IN TANZANIA WOULD
PARTICIPATE IN PEACE DISCUSSIONS ON MAY 2. BIZIMUNGO SAID
AN INTERNATIONAL TEAM OF INVESTIGATORS SHOULD COME TO
RWANDA IMMEDIATELY TO SEE THE SITUATION FOR THEMSELVES AND
DENIED THAT THE GOR WAS PREVENTING ANYONE FROM CROSSING
THE BORDER INTO BURUNDI OR ANY OTHER COUNTRY. HIS PROTEST
THAT THE GOR WAS ARMING CIVILIANS WAS AS WEAK AS HIS
AGREEMENT TO SEE WHAT HE COULD DO TO STOP THE RADIO
BROADCASTS INCITING HUTUS TO VIOLENCE .
3. BUSHNELL INITIATED THE CALL TO BIZIMUNGO TO CALL UPON
THE GOR AND BIZIMUNGO HIMSELF TO AGREE TO A CEASE-FIRE,
STOP BROADCASTING HATE MESSAGES OVER THE RADIO, CEASE
ARMING CIVILIANS, STOP THE ON-GOING MASSACRES, AND ENSURE
THAT ALL BORDERS UNDER GOR CONTROL WERE OPEN FOR SAFE
PASSAGE OF REFUGEES. WOULD BIZIMUNGO CONFIRM TO HER HIS
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PRIOR ASSERTION THAT THE GOR MILITARY COULD BRING ORDER
ACK TO THE COUNTRY WITHIN 48 HOURS OF A DECLARED
CEASE-FIRE, SHE ASKED. BIZIMUNGO FIRST SAID YES, THEN
BEGAN TO EQUIVOCATE. HE WAS A MAN OF PEACE, HE SAID, BUT
HE WAS ONLY ONE MAN AND IT WAS UP TO THE LEADERS OF
GOVERNMENT TO MAKE SUCH DECISIONS. ASKED WHICH LEADERS
AND WHERE THEY COULD BE CONTACTED, BIZIMUNGO REPLIED THE
PRESIDENT WAS IN CHARGE BUT HE WAS IN GITERAMA WHERE
TELEPHONES WERE NOT WORKING. WHEN BUSHNELL ASKED IF THAT
WAS HIS OFFICIAL RESPONSE TO THE USG'S CALL FOR A
CEASE-FIRE, BIZIMUNGO SAID HE WOULD CONTACT THE GOVERNMENT
AND GO SEE UNAMIR COMMANDER DELLAIRE, WITH WHOM HE HAD AN
IMPENDING APPOINTMENT IMMEDIATELY.
3. THE COS CONFIRMED TO BUSHNELL THAT A GOR TEAM WAS IN
TANZANIA TO REPRESENT THE GOVERNMENT AT THE PEACE TALKS TO
BE RECONVENED ON MAY 2. HOWEVER, BIZIMUNGO CONTINUED,
BUSHNELL NEEDED TO UNDERSTAND HOW MISUNDERSTOOD THE GOR
WAS AT THE TIME BECAUSE THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY HAD
FALLEN PREY TO RPF PROPAGANDA. FROM THE BEGINNING, HE
AID, THE FUNDAMENTAL PROBLEM WAS RPF BEHAVIOR, WHICH
CONTINUES IN THE FORM OF MASSACRES AND CIVIL WAR. AN
INTERNATIONAL TEAM OF INVESTIGATORS NEEDED TO COME TO
RWANDA IMMEDIATELY TO DISCOVER THE TRUTH FOR THEMSELVES.
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
USHNELL AGREED THAT THIS WAS AN EXCELLENT IDEA THAT WAS
UNDER DISCUSSION AT THE UNITED NATIONS. BIZIMUNGO SEIZED
BUSHNELL'S QUERY ON THE STATUS OF BORDERS UNDER HIS
CONTROL AS AN EXAMPLE OF THE "LIES" THE RPF IS
PERPETRATING . ALL BORDERS IN GOR HANDS, INCLUDING THE ONE
WITH BURUNDI, WERE OPEN . IT WAS ONLY THE TANZANIAN BORDER
WHICH THE RPF CONTROLLED THAT WAS SEALED.
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4. ON THE QUESTION OF RADIO BROADCASTS, BIZIMUNGO CLAIMED
THERE WAS NOTHING THE GOVERNMENT COULD DO SINCE RWANDA
RESPECTED FREEDOM OF THE PRESS. BUSHNELL POINTED OUT THAT
THE EXTRAORDINARY SITUATION IN WHICH RWANDA FOUND ITSELF
WARRANTED GOVERNMENT EFFORTS TO URGE RESPONSIBLE
BEHAVIOR, BIZIMUNGO SAID HE WOULD SEE WHAT HE COULD DO,
BUT, FRANKLY, HE HAD OTHER PRESSING ISSUES TO DEAL WITH,
SUCH AS THE FIGHTING THAT WAS GOING ON IN KIGALI.
5. BIZIMUNGO WEAKLY DENIED THAT THE GOR WAS ARMING
CIVILIANS SAYING HUTUS WERE ONLY USING WHAT MEANS THEY HAD
AVAILABLE TO DEFEND THEMSELVES AGAINST RPF ATTACKS HE
REPEATED THAT HE COULD NOT FIGHT A WAR AND TEND TO LAW AND
ORDER SIMULTANEOUSLY. THIS CAUSED BUSHNELL TO STRESS
AGAIN THE URGENCY OF A CEASEFIRE. BIZIMUNGO SAID HE WAS
O HIS WAY TO GENERAL DELLAIRE'S OFFICE WHEN SHE HAD
CALLED AND PROMISED TO TALK BOTH TO HIS GOVERNMENT AND TO
DELLAIRE ABOUT USG CONCERNS. HE ALSO SAID HE WOULD E
WILLING TO TALK TO BUSHNELL FURTHER IF SHE CALLED LATER IN
THE DAY.
6. COMMENT. THE CONVERSATION WITH BIZIMUNGO, VIRTUALLY
THE MIRROR IMAGE OF THE ONE SHE HAD WITH RPF GENERA
KAGAME ON APRIL 30 (REPORTED SEPTEL), WAS A DISCOURAGING
ONE . BIZIMUNGO CLUNG TO AN EVEN HARDER LINE THAN THE ONE
HE HAD VOICED IN A CONVERSATION WITH BUSHNELL EARLIER IN
TE WEEK. HE SEEMED NEITHER PANICKED BY THE FIGHTING IN
THE CITY NOR IN DOUBT THAT THE GOR WAS ANYTHING BUT A
VICTIM OF EVIL BEHAVIOR. HE SEEMED GENUINELY PUZZLED THAT
THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY COULD DOUBT THE GOR POSITION
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UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
AND ANGRY BY WHAT HE PERCEIVED TO BE A GENERAL TILT TOWARD
THE RPF VERSION OF TRUTH. END COMMENT.
7. BUJUMBURA MINIMIZED CONSIDERED. TALBOTT
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