Citation
CHR - 17h P35/8
—*
RWANDA - draft presidentiai statement
L0001609
The Security Council is absolutely appalled and horrified over continuing reports of
indiscriminate slaughter of innocent civilians in Kigali and various other localities in
Rwanda. It notes that according to reliable reports, transmitted to the Council by the
Secretary-General in his Special Report (S/1994/470), the current wave of killings
was started by unruly members of the Presidential Guard, joined by elements of the
Rwandese Government Forces (RGF), over which the interim Government,
established on April 8, had failed to establish its authority. Unruly RGF soldiers
were also responsible for the brutal murders of Mrs. Agathe Uwilingiyimana, Prime
Minister, and several other ministers, of the provisional Government that stemmed
from the initial implementation of the Arusha Accords, as well as for the deaths of
10 members of the Belgian contingent serving with UNAMIR.
In addition to information available from the Secretary-General, the Security Council
has considered information available from well-respected NGO's. All this
information points to one thing: the horrors of Rwanda's killing fields has few
precedents in the recent history of the world. The Security Council reaffirms that the
systematic killing of any ethnic group, with intent to destroy it in whole or in part
constitutes an act of genocide as defined by relevant provisions of international law.
The Security Council. points out that genocide cannot be condoned or tolerated, let
alone justified, under any circumstances: not by civil war, not by the death of a
leader, whatever suspicions surround it, not by past history. The Council further
points out that an important body of international law exists that deals with
perpetrators of genocide.
The Security Council warns the interim Government of Rwanda of the responsibility
it bears for immediately reining in and disciplining all elements of the RGF and of
the Presidential Guards responsible for the brutalities. The Council calls upon the
interim Government of Rwanda to assure that any group, organization, movement,
militia or individual under its control should cease and desist from all acts of
genocide against any part of the population of Rwanda. The Council also calls upon
the interim Government of Rwanda to invesitage all acts of genocide and to
severety punish those responsible for their commission. The Council furthermore
expresses its hope that forces that are currenily engaging the RGF and the
Presidentiat Guard will not resort to comparable counlermeasures.
WM007197
