Résumé
Colonel Rusatira accuses the secret organization "Amasasu" for ordering the atrocities in Kigali. Along with other senior officers, Colonels Gatsinzi and Rwabalinda, he met with Defense Minister Augustin Bizimana on the afternoon of April 9, 1994 to ask him to condemn the atrocities and dismantle the group committing them. He asks the United States to encourage a French or Belgian intervention to stop the escalation of the fighting and protect the Rwandans. He claims that the President's death was the necessary provocation to trigger a long-devised plan.
Citation
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2013-19329 Doc No. C05496627 Date: 01/23/2014
(RELEASED IN
FULL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01 NAIROB 06551 1214197
ACTION AF-01
INFO LOG-00 CIAE-00 C-01 OASY-00 DODE-00 DOEE-00 EUR-01
HA-09 H-01 TEDE-00 INR-00 10-16 L-01 ADS-00
NSAE-00 NSCE-00 OIC-02 OMB-01 PA-01 PM-00 PRS-01
P-01 SNP-00 SP-00 SS-00 TRSE-00 T-00 USIE-00
PMB-00 /036W
rs 3AD901 1214202 /38
P 121414Z APR 94
FM AMEMBASSY NAIROBI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 8323
INFO AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY PARIS PRIORITY
USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
USCINCEUR VAIHINGEN GE//ECJ-4// PRIORITY
CONFIDENTIAL NAIROBI 06551
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
TAGS: MOPS, PINS, PINR, RW
SUBJECT: COLONEL BLAMES RIGHT WING MILITARY FOR
- KIGAL!S NIGHTMARE
1. CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARY. IN TELEPHONE CONVERSATION WITH DCM LEADER
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02 NAIROB 06551 121419Z
4/10, A WELL-PLACED RWANDAN ARMY COLONEL CREDITED À
SECRET MILITARY/CIVILIAN ORGANIZATION WITH ORDERING THE
KIGALI ATROCITIES. HE PLEADED FOR THE INTERNATIONALE
COMMUNITY TO CONDEMN THE KILLINGS, INTERVENE TO END THE
FIGHTING, AND HELP MILITARY/CIVILIAN MODERATES
REESTABLISH DIALOGUE WITH THE RPF. END SUMMARY.
3. COLONEL RUSATIRA, DIRECTOR OF THE MILITARY TRAINING
ACADEMY IN KIGALI SINCE MID-1992 AND SECRETARY GENERAL
OF THE MINISTRY OF DEFENSE FOR NEARLY TWO DECADES BEFORE
THAT, ARGUED TO DCM IN TELEPHONE CONVERSATION 7/10 THAT
THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD HAD ACTED ON THE ORDERS OF A
SECRET MILITARY/CIVILIAN ORGANIZATION IN COMMITTING THE
KIGALI ATROCITIES. HE SAÏD THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD, WITH
THE HELP OF COMMUNAL POLICE, WAS ACTING ON ORDERS OF
AMASASU, À SECRET ORGANIZATION THAT OCCASIONALLY ISSUES
PRO-HABYARIMANA COMMUNIQUES ON POLITICAL AND MILITARY
(REVIEW AUTHORITY :_ Charles Daris, Senior Reviewer)
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No.F-2013-19329 Doc No. C05496627 Date: 01/23/2014
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of Sta
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2013-
ISSUES. HE SAID THE PRESIDENT'S DEATH WAS THE
PROVOCATION NEEDED TO PUT A LONG-STANDING PLAN INTO
EFFECT.
5. RUSATIRA SAID SENIOR MILITARY OFFICERS MET THE
MINISTER OF DEFENSE AFTERNOON OF 4/9 AT THE MILITARY
ACADEMY. SEVERAL TOLD THE MINISTER HE MUST DENOUNCE THE
ATTROCITIES AND DISMANTLE THE GROUP COMMITTING THEM. HE
SAID OFFICERS TOLD THE MINISTER THEY KNEW THAT THE
PRESIDENTIAL GUARD HAD RECEIVED ORDERS TO KILL SOUTHERN
HUTUS, OPPOSITION PARTY MEMBERS AND TUTSIS. RUSATIRA
NAMED HIMSELF, COL. GATSINZI (NEMLY NAMED CHIEF OF STAFF
OF THE ARMY), AND COL. RWABALINDA (LIAISON OFFICER WITH
THE UN FORCES) AMONG OTHERS DEMANDING THAT THE MINISTER
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 03 NAIROB 06551 1214197
TAKE STEPS TO END THE MASSACRES.
6. RUSATIRA PLEADED WITH DCM FOR THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMUNITY TO CONDEMN THE ATROCITIES WITHOUT WAITING FOR
AN INVESTIGATION. HE LAMENTED THAT THE KILLING
SURPASSED ALL IMAGINATION, WITH WHOLE FAMILIES BEING
DECIMATED. HE CITED THE EXAMPLE OF TUTSI MINISTER AND
PEACE NEGOTIATOR LANDOALD NDASINGWA WHO, HE SAID, HAD
BEEN KILLED ALONG WITH HIS WIFE AND CHILDREN.
7. THE COLONEL URGED THAT THE US ENCOURAGE FRENCH OR
BELGIAN INTERVENTION TO STOP THE ESCALATION OF FIGHTING
AND TO PROTECT RWANDANS. HE ARGUED THAT THERE IS NO
LARGE FORCE ON THE GROUND IN RWANDA AS IN SOMALIA AND
THAT IT WOULD NOT BE DIFFICULT FOR FRENCH AND BELGIAN
TROOPS TO GAIN CONTROL OF THE SITUATION.
8. FINALLY, HE URGED THAT THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY
WORK WITH "PEOPLE OF GOOD WILL" TO REESTABLISH THE
DIALOGUE WTH THE RPF AND RENEW THE ARUSHA PEACE
PROCESS. "WE DON'T HAVE THE STRENGTH TO DO IT BY
OURSELVES," HE SAID. THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY MUST
UNDERSTAND, HE SAID, THAT THESE HORRIBLE ACTS ARE NOT
THE WLL OF THE ENTIRE MILITARY ESTABLISHMENT IN RWANDA.
9. COMMENT. IN RUSATIRA'S VOICE WAS À DESPARATE PLEA
FOR THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY TO HELP MILITARY AND
CIVILIAN MODERATES WHO WANT TO REESTABLISH ORDER AND
SANITY IN RWANDA. ACCORDING TO A GENDARME CONTACT MET
BY CHANCE OUTSIDE EMBASSY NAIROBI LATER 4/10, RUSATIRA
WAS REPORTEDLY ONE OF SEVERAL SENIOR MILITARY OFFICERS
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
te Case No. F-2013-19329 Doc No. C05496627 Date: 01/23/2014
19329 Doc No. C05496627 Date: 01/23/2014
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2013-1
«
PAGE 04 NAIROB 06551 1214197
9329 Doc No. C05496627 Date: 01/23/2014
WORKING HARD SINCE THE OUTBREAK OF THE KILLINGS TO
REESTABLISH ARMY DISCIPLINE.
THE GENDARME, ACTIVE IN
PROMOTING DEMOCRACY AND NATIONAL RECONCILIATION, SAID HE
WAS IN DANGER FROM THE MILITARY
FAMILY TO THE SOUTH.
10. BUJUMBURA MINIMIZE CONSIDERED.
BRAZEAL
CONFIDENTIAL
NNNN
UNCLASSIFIED U.S. Department of State Case No. F-2013-1
AND WAS EVACUATING HIS
9329 Doc No. C05496627 Date: 01/23/2014