DATE=5/13/99
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
NUMBER=2-249333
TITLE=RWANDA/CONGO (L ONLY)
BYLINE=RICHARD ENGEL
DATELINE=NAIROBI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: RWANDA HAS RENEWED ACCUSATIONS THAT CONGO-KINSHASA IS
ARMING REBEL GROUPS FIGHTING THE GOVERNMENT IN KIGALI. RICHARD
ENGEL REPORTS FROM OUR EAST AFRICA BUREAU THAT THURSDAY'S
ACCUSATIONS COME JUST ONE DAY AFTER CONGO-KINSHASA CAME IN FOR
INTERNATIONAL CRITICISM FOR BOMBING MOSTLY CIVILIAN TARGETS NEAR
THE RWANDAN BORDER EARLIER IN THE WEEK (EDS: TUESDAY).
TEXT: RWANDA'S POLITICALLY-POWERFUL VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER
OF DEFENSE, PAUL KAGAME, ACCUSED THE DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF THE
CONGO OF WORKING TO TOPPLE RWANDA'S GOVERNMENT. IN A STATEMENT
RECEIVED BY V-O-A, MR. KAGAME SAID CONGO-KINSHASA'S PRESIDENT
LAURENT KABILA HAS -- IN ITS WORDS -- "RE-MOBILIZED, TRAINED AND
RE-EQUIPPED THOUSANDS OF MILITIAMEN WHOSE AIM IS TO OVERTHROW THE
GOVERNMENT OF RWANDA."
RWANDA ACCUSES PRESIDENT KABILA OF SUPPORTING ETHNIC HUTU
EXTREMISTS WHO THEY SAY ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR SLAUGHTERING MORE
THAN A HALF-MILLION ETHNIC TUTSIS DURING RWANDA'S 1994 GENOCIDE.
THE STATEMENT SAID PRESIDENT KABILA BACKS MORE THAN FIVE-THOUSAND
HUTU EXTREMISTS WHO ARE BASED IN EASTERN CONGO-KINSHASA. THE
REBELS FLED TO CONGO-KINSHASA WHEN THEY WERE CHASED OUT OF RWANDA
AFTER THE GENOCIDE.
THE HUTU REBELS OCCASIONALLY LAUNCH RAIDS INTO RWANDA, WHICH IS
NOW RUN BY A TUTSI-DOMINATED GOVERNMENT.
RWANDA HAS SENT THOUSANDS OF TROOPS INTO CONGO-KINSHASA TO
SUPPORT REBELS THERE WHO ARE FIGHTING TO OVERTHROW PRESIDENT
KABILA. RWANDA INSISTS THOSE TROOPS ARE NECESSARY TO PROTECT ITS
BORDERS FROM THE MARAUDING HUTU REBELS.
THE NEW ALLEGATIONS FROM RWANDA COME JUST DAYS AFTER
CONGO-KINSHASA MILITARY PLANES BOMBED THE BASES OF THE
RWANDAN-BACKED REBELS IN THE EASTERN TOWNS OF GOMA AND UVIRA. U-N
HUMANITARIAN OFFICIALS SAID THEY DEEPLY REGRET THE ATTACKS WHICH
REBELS SAY LEFT AS MANY AS 50 PEOPLE DEAD -- MOST OF THEM
CIVILIANS. (SIGNED)
NEB/RHE/PCF
13-May-99 1:02 PM EDT (1702 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
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