Résumé
Investigation plan of the commission of experts: a) Massacre of 70 people in Gatagara. Witness: a Belgian priest. b) Several hundred dead at Gikondo. c) Cyangugu, several thousand. d) Several hundred dead in Ntarama. e) Mass graves at Butare hospital. f) Massacre in Kabgayi by the RPF including the bishops. g) h) Massacres committed by the RPF (information collected in Goma). i) Content analysis of RTLM and Radio Muhabura broadcasts.
Citation
PAGE 01
ACTION L-01
GENEVA
INFO
AF-01
DODE-00
H-01
M-00
PC-01
SSO-00
FMP-00
LOG-00
OASY-00
FDRE-01
MFLO-03
PA-01
SR-00
ASDS-01
/062W
08160
01 OF 02
AID-01
ANHR-01
IMMC-01
NEA-01
PM-00
SS-00
PMB-00
RELEASED IN FULL
221655Z
AMAD-01
DS-00
TEDE-00
NSAE-00
PRS-01
STR-01
DSCC-00
ARA-01
EAP-01
INR-00
NSCE-00
P-01
TRSE-00
PRME-01
CA-02
EB-01
10-16
OCS-06
SCT-03
USIE-00
DRL-09
75593C 221656Z /38
P 221658Z SEP 94
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO AMEMBASSY KIGALI PRIORITY
SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3784
INFO AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 01 OF 02 GENEVA 008160
DEPT FOR L (MATHESON), AF (MOOSE), DRL (SHATTUCK),
TO (BENNET), IO/UNP (STANTON), USUN/W (SCHEFFER)
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02
GENEVA 08160 01 OF 02 2216552
THE HAGUE FOR STEVE MATHIAS
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PHUM, UNHRC-1, UNSC, RW
SUBJECT: WGRW02: PROPOSED INVESTIGATIONS TO BE
CONDUCTED FOR THE COMMISSION OF EXPERTS ON RWANDA
REF: STATE 253116
1. CONFIDENTIAL -- ENTIRE TEXT.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: ARCHIE M BOLSTER
DATE/CASE ID: 04 NOV 2011 201005065
C80
UNCLASSIFIED
CONFIDENTIAL
UNCLASSIFIED
CIAE-00
EUR-01
ADS-00
01C-02
SP-00
SA-01
G-00
UNCLASSIFIED
INTRODUCTION
2. THE COMMISSION OF EXPERTS ON RWANDA HAS DEVELOPED A
PRELIMINARY LISTING OF INVESTIGATIONS WHICH IT BELIEVES
SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT IN RWANDA, AND THE MANNER IN WHICH
THEY SHOULD BE CONDUCTED. BASED ON INTERVIEWS AND SITE
VISITS CONDUCTED DURING THE COMMISSION'S INITIAL VISIT
TO THE REGION, THE PROPOSALS WERE PRESENTED TO THE USG
TEAM OF INVESTIGATORS DURING THEIR SEPTEMBER 19-20 VISIT
TO GENEVA (SEPTEL). WE REPORT BELOW THE HIGHLIGHTS OF
THE DOCUMENT, WHICH SHOULD BE PROTECTED IN FULL BECAUSE
OF THE IDENTIFYING INFORMATION WHICH WAS SHARED WITH US
BUT WHICH HAS NOT/NOT BEEN RELEASED BY THE COMMISSION.
COMMENT
3. FOR THE RECORD, WE NOTE THAT THE COMMISSIONERS AT
FIRST REQUESTED THE USG TEAM TO CONDUCT INVESTIGATIONS
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03
GENEVA 08160 01 OF 02 221655Z
OF INCIDENTS A, B, AND F AS LISTED BELOW. AFTER LENGTHY
DISCUSSIONS, THE COMMISSION AGREED WITH THE PROPOSAL
THAT US TEAM RESOURCES WOULD BE MOST EFFICIENTLY USED IN
TRYING TO IDENTIFY POLITICAL-LEVEL INSTIGATORS OF THE
VIOLENCE IN APRIL, AND IN TRYING TO IDENTIFY COMMAND AND
CONTROL RELATIONSHIPS BETWEEN SENIOR FIGURES AND THOSE
WHO ULTIMATELY DID THE KILLING. WE BELIEVE THE
COMMISSION WILL CONTINUE TO TRY TO FIND RESOURCES (FROM
THE US OR OTHER DONOR NATIONS) TO CARRY OUT AT LEAST
SOME OF THE INVESTIGATIONS THEY HAVE IDENTIFIED. IN
PARTICULAR, THEY WILL DOUBTLESS PURSUE THEIR DESIRE FOR
SMALL TEAMS OF FORENSIC EXPERTS TO CONDUCT AT LEAST
EXPLORATORY EXHUMATIONS AT MASS GRAVE SITES.
END COMMENT.
FRAMEWORK OF THE PROPOSED INVESTIGATIONS
4. FOLLOWING ARE HIGHLIGHTS OF THE COMMISSION'S
DOCUMENT, PREPARED IN THE FORM OF A HANDWRITTEN MEMO BY
HUMAN RIGHTS CENTER STAFFER JOSE LUIS GOMEZ DEL PRADO
AND FAXED FROM PAR ES SALAAM ON SEPTEMBER 15 TO HCHR
AYALA LASSO, ASYG FALL, AND SPECIAL PROCEDURES CHIEF
MAUTNER-MARKHOF. THE MEMO NOTES THAT "SOME OF THE
INVESTIGATIONS LISTED WERE INITIATED BY THE COMMISSION
UNCLASSIFIED
DURING ITS FIRST MISSION TO RWANDA AND SHOULD CONTINUE,
OTHERS WILL HAVE TO BE INITIATED WITHOUT DELAY." FOR
PURPOSES OF CONFIDENTIALITY, SITES AND INDIVIDUALS ARE
LISTED BY LETTER (WHERE POSSIBLE, WE IDENTIFY THE SITE
BASED ON WHAT THE COMMISSIONERS TOLD US). FOR REASONS
OF IMPARTIALITY THE COMMISSION INTENDS THAT ITS
INVESTIGATIONS WILL COVER ACTIONS BY BOTH THE FORMER
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04
GENEVA 08160 01 OF 02 221655Z
RWANDESE AUTHORITIES AND BY THE RPF.
INVESTIGATION GROUND RULES
5. THE COMMISSION SEEKS THE FOLLOWING INFORMATION FROM
EACH INVESTIGATION: NUMBER OF VICTIMS; GRAVITY OF THE
ALLEGED VIOLATIONS; CREDIBILITY OF THE SOURCE OF THE
INFORMATION; AND THE IDENTITY AND LEVEL OF THE PERSON OR
PERSONS PRESUMED RESPONSIBLE. THE MEMO LISTS AS BASIC
TEXTS FOR THEIR MANDATE COMMON ARTICLE 3 OF THE GENEVA
CONVENTIONS AND ARTICLE II OF THE SECOND OPTIONAL
PROTOCOL OF 1977 AS RELEVANT FOR GRAVE VIOLATIONS OF
INTERNATIONAL HUMANITARIAN LAW; AND ARTICLES 2 AND 3 OF
THE GENOCIDE CONVENTION FOR INVESTIGATIONS OF POSSIBLE
GENOCIDE. THE COMMISSION HOPES THAT POLICE OFFICERS PUT
AT THEIR DISPOSAL WILL INVESTIGATE AND COLLECT PROOFS.
PROSECUTORS SIMILARLY PROVIDED, WORKING IN TEAMS WITH
THE POLICE OFFICERS, WILL HAVE RESPONSIBILITY TO ANALYZE
THE PROOFS COLLECTED BY THE POLICE IN ORDER TO ASSIST
THE COMMISSION TO IDENTIFY THOSE RESPONSIBLE AND
"QUALIFY THE TYPE OF VIOLATION."
SPECIFIC INVESTIGATIONS
6.
THE COMMISSION PICKED NINE INCIDENTS WHICH SHOULD BE
CONFIDENTIAL
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
NNNN
UNCLASSIFIED
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01
ACTION L-01
GENEVA 08160 02 OF 02 221655Z
INFO LOG-00 AF-01
OASY-00 DODE-00
FDRE-01 H-01
MFLO-03 M-00
PA-01
PC-01
SR-00
SSO-00
ASDS-01 FMP-00
/062W
AID-01 AMAD-01 ARA-01 CA-02
ANHR-01 DS-00
EAP-01 EB-01
IMMC-01 TEDE-00 INR-00
10-16
NEA-01 NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OCS-06
PM-00
PRS-01 P-01
SCT-03
SS-00
STR-01 TRSE-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 DSCC-00 PRME-01 DRL-09
75594A 221657Z /38
P 221658Z SEP 94
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO AMEMBASSY KIGALI PRIORITY
SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 3785
INFO AMEMBASSY KINSHASA
AMEMBASSY LONDON
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA
AMEMBASSY THE HAGUE
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 02 OF 02 GENEVA 008160
DEPT FOR L (MATHESON), AF (MOOSE), DRL (SHATTUCK),
IO (BENNET), IO/UNP (STANTON), USUN/W (SCHEFFER)
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02
GENEVA 08160 02 OF 02 221655Z
THE HAGUE FOR STEVE MATHIAS
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: PHUM, UNHRC-1, UNSC, RW
SUBJECT: WGRW02: PROPOSED INVESTIGATIONS TO BE
CONDUCTED FOR THE COMMISSION OF EXPERTS ON RWANDA
INVESTIGATED- SUMMARIES BASED ON THE HANDWRITTEN MEMO
FOLLOW:
UNCLASSIFIED
CIAE-00
EUR-01
ADS-00
01C-02
SP-00
SA-01
G-00
A) THE COMMISSION MET WITH AN IMPORTANT EYE-WITNESS WHO
IS AVAILABLE TO TESTIFY TO A MASSACRE WHICH INVOLVED
SOME 70 PERSONS. AHMED OMRAN OF THE KIGALI FIELD OFFIcEUNCLASSIFIED
HAS BEEN TASKED WITH CONTINUING TO COLLECT INFORMATION.
TWO POLICE OFFICERS AND ONE PROSECUTOR ARE SOUGHT;
"FORENSIC EXPERTS MAY ALSO BE NEEDED." (NOTE: GOMEZ
DEL PRADO INDICATED THIS INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT
GATAGARA; THE EYEWITNESS IS A BELGIAN PRIEST. PLEASE
PROTECT THIS INFORMATION FULLY.)
B) ANOTHER EYEWITNESS DESCRIBED TO THE COMMISSION A
MASSACRE OF "SEVERAL HUNDRED PERSONS IN A CHURCH OR
OUTSIDE." AGAIN, OMRAN HAS BEEN ASKED TO FOLLOW UP.
TWO POLICE OFFICERS AND ONE PROSECUTOR SHOULD BE PUT ON
THIS CASE; "THERE ARE MASS GRAVES THAT WILL HAVE TO BE
EXHUMED AND FORENSIC EXPERTS NEEDED." (NOTE: THIS
INCIDENT TOOK PLACE AT GIKONDO. PLEASE PROTECT FULLY.)
C) VARIOUS CREDIBLE SOURCES INDICATED THAT A MASSACRE
TOOK PLACE OF "THOUSANDS OF PERSONS."
THIS WILL REQUIRE
THREE POLICE OFFICERS AND ONE PROSECUTOR; FORENSIC
EXPERTS WILL BE NEEDED. (NOTE: THE LOCATION OF THIS
INVESTIGATION IS CYANGUGU. PLEASE PROTECT FULLY.)
D) THE COMMISSION HAS A VIDEOTAPE SHOWING SEVERAL
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03
GENEVA 08160 02 OF 02 221655Z
HUNDRED CORPSES REMAINING UNBURIED AT THE TIME THE
COMMISSION WAS ON ITS FIRST MISSION TO KIGALI. ALTHOUGH
NO OTHER INFORMATION HAS BEEN COLLECTED, "THE FACT THAT
THE BODIES HAD NOT BEEN BURIED SHOULD ASSIST IN
COMPLETING THE INQUIRY. THE COMMISSION HAS DECIDED THAT
THE TEAM OF NINE FORENSIC EXPERTS BE ASSIGNED AS A
PRIORITY" TO THIS CASE. TWO POLICE OFFICERS AND A
PROSECUTOR ARE ALSO REQUIRED FOR THIS INVESTIGATION.
(NOTE: THE LOCATION FOR THIS CASE IS NTARAMA. PLEASE
PROTECT FULLY.)
E) THE COMMISSION VISITED MASS GRAVES WHERE CHILDREN
AND PATIENTS FROM A HOSPITAL ARE SAID TO BE BURIED.
VARIOUS CREDIBLE SOURCES TOLD THE STORY. TWO POLICE
OFFICERS AND APROSECUTOR SHOULD BE ASSIGNED. J. SALAZAR
OF THE HUMAN RIGHTS FIELD OFFICE PARTICIPATED IN THE
VISIT AND SHOULD FOLLOW THE CASE. FORENSIC EXPERTS WILL
BE NEEDED. (NOTE: THE SITE OF THIS MASSACRE IS
BUTARE. PLEASE PROTECT FULLY.)
F) ONE WITNESS TESTIFIED DURING THE COMMISSION'S VISIT
TO THIS SITE, WHERE SOME CORPSES REMAINED UNBURIED WHILE
THERE WERE OTHERS IN MASS GRAVES. THE MASSACRES WERE
ALLEGEDLY CARRIED OUT BY THE RPF. THE COMMISSION
UNCLASSIFIED
BELIEVES THREE POLICE OFFICERS, A PROSECUTOR, AND
FORENSIC EXPERTS ARE REQUIRED FOR THIS CASE. (NOTE:
THE SITE FOR THIS MASSACRE IS SAID TO BE KABGAYI;
VICTIMS INCLUDED RWANDESE BISHOPS AND PRIESTS. PLEASE
PROTECT FULLY.)
G & H) THE COMMISSION DECIDED TO CONDUCT TWO OTHER
INVESTIGATIONS OF VIOLATIONS ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN
CARRIED OUT BY THE RPF. THE SITES FOR THESE
INVESTIGATIONS WILL BE CHOSEN BY THE HUMAN RIGHTS FIELD
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 04
GENEVA 08160 02 OF 02 221655Z
OFFICERS IN KIGALI ON THE BASIS OF INFORMATION THE
COMMISSIONERS RECEIVED DURING THEIR VISIT TO GOMA.
I) FINALLY, THE MEMO NOTES, "A PARTICULAR INVESTIGATION
WILL HAVE TO BE CONDUCTED REGARDING THE IMPACT OF
MESSAGES DIFFUSED BY RADIO MILLE COLLINES AS AN
INSTRUMENT OF THE POLICY OF HATRED OF THE FORMER
AUTHORITIES CONCERNING AN ETHNIC GROUP." AN EXPERT ON
"CONTENT ANALYSIS" SHOULD CONDUCT THE INVESTIGATION
CORRELATING THE MESSAGES WITH MASSACRES WHICH OCCURRED.
OTHER MESSAGES FROM RPF "RADIO MUHABURA" SHOULD ALSO BE
ANALYZED, IN THE INTERESTS OF IMPARTIALITY. CASSETTE
RECORDINGS WERE PROMISED TO THE COMMISSION BY
AUTHORITIES IN KIGALI; ONE IS ALREADY IN THE POSSESSION
OF THE COMMISSION. IT WILL BE NECESSARY TO TRANSCRIBE
AND TRANSLATE THE CONTENTS OF THOSE RECORDINGS.
END HIGHLIGHTS.
7. MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. SPIEGEL
CONFIDENTIAL
UNCLASSIFIED
UNCLASSIFIED
