Citation
BRUSSELS, April 7 (Reuter) - Belgium expressed outrage on Thursday at
the deaths of the presidents of Burundi and Rwanda and called for the
United Nations to strengthen its mandate in Rwanda where an orgy of
violence following the killings.
Foreign Minister Willy Claes, on a visit to Romania, told Belgian news
agency Belga he would appeal to the United Nations later on Thursday to
strengthen its mandate in Rwanda.
I would like this as a precautionary measure so that the situation
does not become out of control in Rwanda,
Claes said in Bucharest.
Earlier, the foreign ministry strongly condemned the deaths of Rwandan
President Juvenal Habyarimana and Burundi President Cyprien Ntaryamira,
who were travelling together when their plane was downed by a rocket
over Kigali.
We learned with astonishment of the brutal attack against an aircraft
over (the Rwandan capital) Kigali, which cost the lives of the
presidents of Burundi and Rwanda,
the foreign ministry said in a
statement.
We strongly condemn this loss which could seriously put into question
the precarious balance in the two countries,
the statement added.
Troops, presidential guards and gendarmes rampaged through the Rwandan
capital Kigali on Thursday following the killing of the two presidents,
leading to Claes' call for the U.N.'s mandate to be beefed up.
The feeling is that the United Nations mandate is very narrow and that
our troops can do little more than stage patrols,
a Belgian diplomatic
source said.
There are about 450 Belgian troops in Rwanda as part of a team of 2,500
U.N. peacekeepers overseeing the central African country's transition
to democracy.
Belgium, the former colonial ruler of both countries, called for an
impartial inquiry to determine who was responsible for killing the two
presidents.
We appeal to the authorities (in the two countries) to calm down the
situation, condemn all forms of violence and preserve the peace and the
democracy process,
the foreign ministry said.
A foreign ministry spokesman said diplomats were on permanent standby
in case the estimated 1,500 Belgian nationals in Rwanda and 1,200 in
neighbouring Burundi were threatened in the latest violence.
There has not been any suggestion yet that the Belgians should leave,
but we are closely monitoring the situation,
the spokesman told
Reuters.
(c) Reuters Limited 1994
