Citation
-- THE AMBASSADOR AND MSF/F ARGUED STRONGLY THAT, IN
ADDITION TO THE "RANDOM" MASSACRES OF TUTSIS BY HUTU
MILITIAS OR INDIVIDUALS, THERE IS AN ORGANIZED,
PARALLEL EFFORT OF "ETHNIC PURIFICATION" BEING CARRIED
OUT BY THE ARMY TO DESTROY THE LEADERSHIP OF THE TUTSI
COMMUNITY.
THE RWANDA INTERIM GOVERNMENT FOREIGN MINISTER WAS
RECEIVED AT THE MATIGNON, THE ELYSEE AND THE QUAI. IN
ADDITION TO ATTEMPTING TO PLACE BLAME FOR THE MASSACRES
ENTIRELY ON THE RPF, THE DELEGATION SOUGHT ARMS SALES,
WHICH WERE TURNED DOWN FLAT BY THE GOF.
Downing of Habyarimana's plane
[...] BELIEVES THAT TWO MISSILES WERE FIRED
FROM THE GENERAL VICINITY OF THE PRESIDENT'S RESIDENCE,
APPROXIMATELY THREE KMS FROM THE AIRPORT. THE FIRST
MISSILE MISSED ITS TARGET WHILE THE SECOND STRUCK AN
ENGINE AND THE PLANE PLUMMETED TO THE GROUND SOME
DISTANCE FROM THE AIRPORT.
4. THE QUAI DOES NOT/NOT ACCEPT THE HYPOTHESIS MADE BY
SOME HUTU HARDLINERS THAT BELGIAN SOLDIERS IN UNAMIR
WERE SOMEHOW INVOLVED IN THE ATTACK OR DIRECTLY AIDED
RPF SOLDIERS TO ENTER THE GENERAL AIRPORT AREA SO THEY
COULD FIRE ON THE PLANE. NOR DO THE FRENCH ACCEPT THE
HYPOTHESIS THAT THE PLANE WAS DOWNED BY EXTREMIST
MEMBERS OF THE PRESIDENTIAL GUARD. CONCERNING REPORTS
OF INVOLVEMENT BY "BELGIAN SOLDIERS" IN THE ATTACK, IF
SUCH ASSISTANCE WAS GIVEN, BOIVINEAU BELIEVES IT WAS
MORE LIKELY THE RESULT OF WHITE MERCENARIES WHO
REPORTEDLY HAVE BEEN SIGHTED FIGHTING WITH THE RWANDAN
ARMY.
RWANDAN AMBASSADOR: CHARGES OF "ETHNIC PURIFICATION"
5.
ON APRIL 27 WE MET WITH THE RWANDAN AMBASSADOR TO
FRANCE, JEAN-MARIE NDAGIJIMANA (REF D), WHO IS
ASSOCIATED WITH THE MODERATE HUTU OPPOSITION. HE
STRESSED THAT THERE HAS BEEN AN ALMOST TOTAL ABSENCE OF
OFFICIAL COMMUNICATIONS FROM THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT AND
HE WAS SPEAKING ON A PERSONAL BASIS. NDAGIJIMANA
STATED THAT HE KEEPS ABREAST OF DEVELOPMENTS THROUGH
JOURNALIST CONTACTS, CALLS FROM COLLEAGUES AND FRIENDS
IN NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, AND REPORTS BY NGOS AND UN
AGENCIES.
6.ON THOSE FEW INSTANCES WHEN HE WAS CONTACTED BY THE
FOREIGN MINISTRY, THE INSTRUCTIONS HAVE BEEN TO DENY
THE ALLEGATIONS OF AN ORGANIZED HUTU EFFORT TO DESTROY
THE TUTSI PEOPLE AND THE ROLE OF A DIRECT INVOLVEMENT
BY RWANDAN ARMY ELEMENTS IN SUCH ACTIVITIES.
NDAGIJIMANA STATED THAT HE HAS REFUSED TO CARRY OUT
THESE INSTRUCTIONS SINCE HE BELIEVES THEM TO BE
DISINFORMATION EFFORTS.
7.IN A SUBSEQUENT CONVERSATION THE FOLLOWING DAY,
THE NDAGIJIMANA STATED THAT THE FOREIGN MINISTER HAS
INSTRUCTED HIM TO RETURN TO RWANDA TO TAKE UP OTHER
DUTIES. HE STATED THAT IN THE ABSENCE OF A RECOGNIZED
PRESIDENT OF RWANDA, HE INTENDS TO REMAIN AT HIS POST
IN PARIS.
THE HABYARIMANA FAMILY IN PARIS
8.ALTHOUGH THE FAMILY OF THE LATE PRESIDENT IS IN
PARIS, MRS. HABYARIMANA AND HER RELATIVES (WHO HAVE
ALWAYS BEEN ASSOCIATED WITH VERY HARDLINE HUTU
ELEMENTS), HAVE AVOIDED CONTACT WITH THE RWANDAN
EMBASSY. HOWEVER, BASED ON INFORMATION FROM RWANDANS
WHO HAVE MET WITH HER, NDAGIJIMANA UNDERSTANDS THAT THE
INFLUENCE OF HER BROTHERS HAS GROWN DRAMATICALLY SINCE
THE DEATH OF HABYARIMANA. HE CHARACTERIZED THE FAMILY
AS EXTREMELY HARDLINE AND ACTIVELY ENCOURAGING SOME OF
THE MOST RADICAL HUTUS WHO ARGUE THAT NOW IS TIME TO
END FOREVER THE TUTSI PRESENCE IN RWANDA. HE OPINED
THAT THE HABYARIMANA FAMILY CAN NOT BE COUNTED UPON TO
URGE AN END TO THE MASSACRES OR TO PLAY A POSITIVE ROLE
IN A LONGER-TERM POLITICAL SETTLEMENT.
DEATH OF HABYARIMANA AND THE START OF THE MASSACRES
9.NDAGIJIMANA STATED THAT HE HAS TRIED TO GATHER
INFORMATION ON THE DOWNING OF THE PRESIDENT'S PLANE,
INCLUDING THROUGH CONTACTS WITH RWANDAN ARMY OFFICERS
PRESENT IN KIGALI. NDAGIJIMANA REJECTED CLAIMS OF
UNAMIR INVOLVEMENT. HE ADDED THAT CHARGES OF RPF
INVOLVEMENT ARE NOT CREDIBLE SINCE THE SITE FROM WHICH
THE MISSILE ATTACK TOOK PLACE WAS IN THE VICINITY OF
THE PRESIDENT'S RESIDENCE AND SECURED BY FORCES LOYAL
TO HABYARIMANA. NDAGIJIMANA ARGUED STRONGLY THAT THE
DEATH OF THE PRESIDENT WAS THE SIGNAL FOR A PREPLANNED
ETHNIC MASSACRE TO BEGIN. HE ALSO NOTED THAT THE RPF
OFFENSIVE TOWARD KIGALI BEGAN ONLY AFTER THE MASSACRES
OF TUTSIS HAD STARTED.
10.NDAGIJIMANA STATED THAT THE FIRST KILLINGS OF
TUTSIS WERE NEITHER RANDOM NOR CARRIED OUT IN THE HEAT
OF REVENGE. RATHER, THE INITIAL ATTACKS WERE AGAINST
TUTSI OFFICALS, POLITICAL FIGURES AND COMMUNITY LEADERS
IN KIGALI AND AROUND THE COUNTRY, AS WELL AS AGAINST
SOME MODERATE HUTU OFFICIALS AND POLITICAL LEADERS WHO
HAD WORKED FOR RECONCILIATION. NDAGIJIMANA GAVE
EXAMPLES OF A NUMBER OF INSTANCES WHERE "SPONTANEOUS"
MASSACRES WERE ENCOURAGED BY LOCAL OFFICALS IN AREAS
FAR FROM THE COMBAT OR REFUGEE FLOWS. NDAGIJIMANA
CLAIMED THAT INTERWOVEN WITH THE "RANDOM" ETHNIC
CONFRONTATIONS, THERE IS AN "ETHNIC PURIFICATION"
CAMPAIGN UNDERWAY INTENDED TO DESTROY THE EDUCATED
LEADERSHIP OF THE TUTSI COMMUNITY.
GETTING THE TALKS STARTED
11.NDAGIJIMANA ARGUED STATED THAT FOREIGN STATES
INVOLVED IN TALKS AT ARUSHA SHOULD STRESS THE NEED FOR
BOTH SIDES TO AVOID PRECONDITIONS FOR A CEASEFIRE,
HOWEVER DIFFICULT THAT MAY BE FOR THE RPF OR THE
INTERIM GOVERNMENT TO ACCEPT. HE SUGGESTED THAT A
SCENARIO THAT CALLED FOR BOTH SIDES TO AGREE TO A
48-HOUR CEASEFIRE, TO ALLOW THE GENDARMERIE AND
CIVILIAN AUTHORITIES TO SEE IF THEY CAN STOP THE
MASSACRES. IF PEACE CAN BE RE-ESTABLISHED, FURTHER
TALKS CAN BE HELD ON MILITARY DISENGAGEMENT. THE
AMBASSADOR STRESSED THAT THE A POLITICAL ALLIANCE
BETWEEN THE MODERATE SOUTHERN HUTUS AND THE RPF IS NOT
ONLY NECESSARY BUT DESIRABLE.
AN INVESTIGATION FOR CRIMES AGAINST HUMANITY?
12. NDAGIJIMANA URGED THAT THE UN CONSIDER THE
CREATION OF A TRIBUNAL TO INVESTIGATE CRIMES AGAINST
HUMANITY AS A WAY TO PROVIDE THE RPF LEADERSHIP WITH AN
ALTERNATIVE TO RETRIBUTION AND A NEW CYCLE OF
VIOLENCE. THAT SAID, HE URGED THAT IF SUCH A BODY IS
CREATED, IT SHOULD MOVE WITH GREAT CAUTION AND FOCUS ON
INDIVIDUALS, NOT RWANDAN INSTITUTIONS, TO AVOID GIVING
THE HUTUS THE (FALSE) IMPRESSION THAT THEY ARE "UNDER
ATTACK" BY THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.
[censuré]
BASED ON FIRST HAND ACCOUNTS, THEY CONFIRMED THAT THE
RWANDAN ARMY IS TAKING ACTIVE MEASURES TO PREVENT THE
FLIGHT OF REFUGEES TO NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES, INCLUDING
POSITIONING TROOPS CLOSE TO INTERNATIONAL BORDERS AND
FIRING ON FLEEING REFUGEES. BASED ON REPORT FROM
REFUGEES AND [censuré]
BELIEVE THAT THE ARMY IS WORKING "HAND IN GLOVE" WITH THE MILITIAS AND THE
GENERAL POPULATION IN COORDINATING ATTACKS ON TUTSI
CIVILIANS.
VISIT OF THE RWANDAN FOREIGN MINISTER
16.CATHERINE BOIVINEAU, DIRECTOR OF EAST AND CENTRAL
AFRICAN AFFAIRS AT THE QUAI, AND DOMINIQUE PIN, AFRICAN
AFFAIRS ADVISOR AT THE ELYSEE, BRIEFED US ON THE
DISCUSSIONS HELD ON APRIL 27 AND 28 WITH THE INTERIM
GOVERNMENT FOREIGN MINISTER JEROME BICAMUMPAKA AND
FOREIGN MINISTRY POLITICAL DIRECTOR, JEAN BOSCO
BARAYAGWIZA (REF C). THE RWANDA DELEGATION MADE MANY
OF THE SAME POINTS THAT SIMILAR DELEGATIONS HAVE MADE
TO OTHER INTERLOCUTORS, STRESSING THAT THE RPF
OFFENSIVE IS TO BLAME FOR THE ETHNIC ATROCITIES IN
RWANDA. THE DELEGATION STATED THAT "NOW THAT THE
MASSACRES HAVE STOPPED," THERE IS NO REASON NOT TO
PROVIDE THE GOVERNMENT WITH ARMS TO ENABLE IT TO DEFEND
ITSELF AGAINST THE RPF. THE REQUEST WAS TURNED DOWN
FLAT.
17.THE FRENCH EXPRESSED DISMAY TO BICAMUMPAKA OVER
THE ABSENCE OF HUTU MODERATES IN THE INTERIM GOVERNMENT
AND URGED THAT EVERYTHING POSSIBLE BE DONE TO BRING AN
END TO THE ETHNIC STRIFE. THE FRENCH ALSO URGED THE
RWANDANS TO SEND A SERIOUS DELEGATION TO ARUSHA WITH
THE POWER TO NEGOTIATE.
