Citation
UNCLASSIFIED
W2
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ACTION AF-01
KIGALI 01034 01 OF 02 111507Z
INFO LOG-00 CIAE-00 C-01
INR-00 10-19
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/045w
RELEASED IN PART
1.4(B), 1.4(D)
DODE-00 EUR-01 HA-09
ADS-00 NSAE-00 NSCE-00
RPCS-01
PRS-01 P-01
USIE-00 RPE-01
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A5DC7B 111508Z /38
O 111603Z MAR 93
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3303
INFO AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE //Ecoz-P/ETcc// PRIORITY
USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 01 OF 02 KIGALI 01034
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PINS, PGOV, MOPS, PREL, RW
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF DEFENSE ON GOMN
AND CIVIL DEFENSE
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KIGALI
01022, (B) KIGALI 01021,
(A)
REFS:
(C) KIGALI 00819
1.
CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARY: MINISTER OF DEFENSE EXPRESSED
SKEPTICISM AND DISTRUST OF GOMN AND HINTED AT OAU
COMPLICITY WITH THE RPF IN SETTING UP THE GOVERNMENT
OF RWANDA (GOR) FOR THE FEBRUARY 8 ATTACK. THE
MINISTER OF DEFENSE ALSO REITERATED THAT ONLY A
LIMITED NUMBER OF WEAPONS HAVE BEEN DISTRIBUTED TO
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: CHARLES L DARIS
DATE/CASE ID: 25 OCT 2006 200103014
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
COMMUNES THROUGH THE COMMUNAL POLICE, BUT FEARS
BAMDITRY WILL INCREASE SUBSTANTIALLY AS MORE GUNS AND
GRENADES BECOME AVAILABLE DUE TO DESERTIONS AFTER
MAJOR SKIRMISHES. END SUMMARY.
3. AMBASSADOR HOSTED DINNER MARCH 10 FOR DEFENSE
MINISTER GASANA AND AF/RA LT. COLONEL MARLEY,
ADMINOFF PARTICIPATED.
DISTRUST OF GOMN
4. DURING CONVERSATION MINISTER OF DEFENSE EXPRESSED
HIS DISTRUST OF THE GOMN AND STATED THAT HIS MILITARY
LEADERS WOULD NOT TRUST THE WORD OF THE GOMN WITH
REGARD TO THE POSITIONS OF THE RPF AS THEY ARE
ESTABLISHED IN THE LATEST CEASEFIRE ACCORD. THE
MINISTER STATED THAT HE AND HIS MILITARY ADVISORS ARE
CONVINCED THAT THERE WAS COMPLICITY ON THE PART OF
THE OAU AND ESPECIALLY THE RPF MEMBERS OF THE GOMN
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WHICH HAD UNRESTRICTED ACCESS TO ALL GOR POSITIONS.
HE FEELS THAT THE RPF MEMBERS OF THE GOMN USED THIS
INFORMATION TO HELP PLAN THE ATTACK WHILE PRETENDING
TO TALK PEACE IN ARUSHA.
CIVIL DEFENSE
5. BACKGROUND: FOLLOWING UP ON THE PRESIDENT'S
SPEECH OF FEBRUARY 24, THE RWANDAN ARMY REPORTEDLY
BEGAN DISTRIBUTING WEAPONS TO COMMUNAL LEVEL CIVIL
DEFENSE UNITS. THE PROCESS WAS GIVEN A BOOST WHEN
THE TWELVE PARTIES, WHICH MET WITH THE CATHOLIC AND
PROTESTANT BISHOPS, ENDORSED THE ESTABLISHMENT OF
CIVIL DEFENSE UNITS ON MARCH 2. THE PRIME MINISTER
RAISED HIS CONCERN WITH ME ON FEBRUARY 25, WORRYING
THAT ARMS WERE BEING GIVEN TO MEND YOUTH AND CDR
SUPPORTERS ONLY IN VARIOUS COMMUNES OF RUHENGERI AND
WOULD BE USED FOR MORE ETHNIC, AND/OR POLITICAL
KILLINGS. ON THIS ISSUE HE AND MDR PRESIDENT
TWAGIRAMUNGU ARE IN COMPLETE AGREEMENT.
UNCLASSIFIED
1.4(B), 1.4(D)
UNCLASSIFIED
PL PRESIDENT MUGENZI ASSERTED MARCH 10 THAT 10,000
WEAPONS HAD BEEN DISTRIBUTED1 OTHER CONCERNS WERE
REPORTED REF C. WE CHECKED THE REPORTS WITH LT.
COLONEL RUTAYISIRE, THE HEAD OF EXTERNAL SECURITY IN
THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE. COLONEL RUTAYISIRE
CONFIRMED THAT AS OF MARCH 2, THE ARMY HAD
DISTRIBUTED 300 WEAPONS, APPARENTLY THE BASIC G-3
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RIFLE AND 18,000 ROUNDS OF AMMUNITION. HE SAID HE
HAS A FULL ACCOUNTING OF THE PERSONS TO WHOM THE
WEAPONS WERE GIVEN BY NAME AND LOCALITY WITH THE
SBRIAL NUMBERS OF THE WEAPONS. HE CONCEDED THAT MOST
OF THE WEAPONS HAD PROBABLY BEEN GIVEN TO MRND AND
CDR SUPPORTERS, SINCE THEY ARE THE MAJORITY OF THE
POPULATION IN THE AFFECTED AREAS. MOST OF THE
WEAPONS WERE DISTRIBUTED IN BYUMBA PREFECTURE IN THE
MUTARA REGION, ALTHOUGH ONE COMMUNE IN RUHENGERI ALSO
RECEIVED THESE NEW TOYS.
6. IN LIGHT OF CONTINUING CONCERNS, AMBASSADOR
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A5DC98 111508Z /38
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
O 111603Z MAR 93
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 3304
INFO AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY OTTAWA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ5 - P/ETCC// PRIORITY
USMISSION GENEVA PRIORITY
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 02 OF 02 KIGALI 01034
E.O. 12356: DECL: OADR
TAGS: PINS, PGOV, MOPS, PREL, RW
SUBJECT: MINISTER OF DEFENSE ON GOMN
RAISED THE ISSUE WITH THE DEFENSE MINISTER. THE
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MINISTER ASSURED AMBASSADOR THAT ONLY APPROXIMATELY
300 WEAPONS WERE DISTRIBUTED IN THE BYUMBA
PREFECTURE. THE PURPOSE WAS TO PROTECT AGAINST RPF
INFILTRATORS AND AGAINST DESERTERS WHO PILLAGE AND
KILL CIVILIANS AS THEY PROCEED FROM THE BATTLE
FRONT. HE STATED THAT THE WEAPONS WERE ISSUED TO THE
COMMUNAL POLICE WHO SET UP PATROLS DURING THE NIGHT.
HE STATED THAT THIS PROGRAM HAD BEEN INITIATED IN
1991, WAS APPROVED BY THE GOVERNMENT DURING A CABINET
SESSION IN 1992, AND THAT IT HAS BEEN VERY SUCCESSFUL
AS A DETERRRENT IN THE AREAS WHERE WEAPONS HAVE BEEN
ISSUED. THE MINISTER ALSO STATED THAT THE LARGEST
NUMBER OF WEAPONS ISSUED IN ANY ONE COMMUNE IN THE
BYUMBA PREFECTURE WAS SEVENTY (70).
7. WHILE THE MINISTER WAS VERY CONFIDENT THAT THE
WEAPONS DISTRIBUTION PROGRAM WAS VERY WELL ORGANIZED
AND ACCOUNTABILITY INSURED, HE WAS VERY CONCERNED
ABOUT THE INCREASE IN BANDITRY ESPECIALLY AFTER MAJOR
SKIRMISHES BETWEEN THE GOR AND THE RPF. HE NOTED
THAT DURING THESE TIMES, DESERTIONS ARE UP AND THERE
ARE MORE GUNS AND GRENADES ON THE STREETS. HE STATED
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
THAT WHILE HIS EFFORTS TO BUY CONTRABAND WEAPONS FROM
THE MARKET HAS BEEN SUCCESSFUL TO DATE, THERE IS NO
WAY OF KNOWING HOW MANY WEAPONS AND GRENADES ARE
ACTUALLY IN CIRCULATION. HIS EFFORTS TO RECOVER ARMS
THROUGH A BUY-BACK PROGRAM REVEALED THAT THE GOING
PRICE FOR AN AK-47 IS ABOUT USD 70.
COMMENT
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8. GASANA IS PROBABLY THE MOST MODERATE AMONG THE
PRESIDENT'S GROUP IN THE GOVERNMENT. HIS SUSPICIONS
OF THE GOMN MUST BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY. ON THE OTHER
HAND, THE FLEXIBILITY SHOWN US BY THE PRESIDENT IS
MORE RELEVANT TO THE POTENTIAL DISCUSSIONS WITH THE
RPF, THE OAU AND THE UN ON WHETHER AND HOW TO AUGMENT
A FORCE FOR THE BUFFER ZONE.
9. SIMILARLY, WE BELIEVE GASANA IS GIVING US A
STRAIGHT STORY ON CIVIL DEFENSE, BUT CANNOT RULE OUT
THE POSSIBILITY THAT SOMEONE ELSE IS ALSO
DISTRIBUTING WEAPONS TO CIVILIANS, NOT THE 10,000
THAT MUGENZI CLAIMS, BUT POSSIBLY SOME HUNDREDS. WE
WILL CONTINUE TO PURSUE THIS ISSUE BECAUSE OF ITS
POTENTIALLY DISASTROUS CONSEQUENCES IN TIMES OF
RENEWED TENSIONS IN THE COUNTRYSIDE. FLATEN
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