DATE=9/8/1999
TYPE=CORRESPONDENT REPORT
TITLE=CONGO / RWANDA GENOCIDE (L-ONLY)
NUMBER=2-253586
BYLINE=SCOTT STEARNS
DATELINE=KIGALI
CONTENT=
VOICED AT:
INTRO: For the cease-fire in Congo to work,
Rwanda's government says President Laurent Kabila
must agree to hand-over suspects from Rwanda's
1994 genocide. As V-O-A correspondent Scott
Stearns reports from Kigali, former Rwandan
soldiers are to be disarmed as part of the latest
peace plan.
TEXT: For Rwanda, war in Congo has always been
about national security -- tracking down members
of the former government army and extremist
militia responsible for the genocide of ethnic
Tutsi and politically moderate Hutu.
So it is no surprise that in the new peace deal
for Congo, Rwanda is most interested in
provisions for disarming former soldiers now
fighting alongside president Kabila. Checking the
threat of cross-border raids and more ethnic
violence is a precondition for Rwandan troops
leaving Congo.
Wilson Rutayisire is Rwanda'S Director of
Information. He says if President Kabila does
not move to isolate those responsible for the
genocide. Rwanda will continue to pursue them
itself.
/// 1st RUTAYISIRE ACT ///
I think we are not going to compromise on
the question of genocide. I think it is
very central here. It is not only central
because it is a criminal act against
humanity and outlawed in all the
international charters, but it is more so
in Rwanda because it has serious
implications for our security and therefore
we can not compromise on our security.
/// END ACT ///
Security led Rwanda to engineer a civil war
against long-time Zairian leader Mobutu Sese Seko
because he helped Rwandan militia re-arm in
refugee camps across the border.
That rebellion put Laurent Kabila in power in
Kinshasa. When he failed to do any better
controlling armed attacks, Rwanda moved against
him as well. Under the cease-fire, Rwanda would
like to try some of those leaders in its own
genocide courts. Others would be sent to the
United Nations Criminal Tribunal in Tanzania.
With that court picking up suspects in Cameroon
and Europe, the United States and Kenya, Mr.
Rutayisire says Congo's cease-fire places a heavy
burden on all African leaders to bring these
people to justice.
/// 2nd RUTAYISIRE ACT ///
It is a question of good faith and good
intention by the countries which are having
these militias. Congo, Zimbabwe, which has
been training them, Central Africa (i.e.
Central African Republic), Brazzaville
which keeps them. All these countries which
are keeping them knowing that they can
really arrest them, repatriate them, or
take them to the tribunal.
/// END ACT ///
This conflict has been short on good faith and
good intentions. President Kabila is in no rush
to disarm groups that are helping him against
foreign armies, especially if the cease-fire
fails.
Mr. Rutayisire says if other countries continue
to arm genocide suspects they will have more war
with Rwanda.
/// 3rd RUTAYISIRE ACT ///
We are not going to compromise with them
for the sake of good neighborliness. If any
neighbor thinks he is going to ally and
support those forces, it is tantamount to
having declared war on Rwanda. They will
have to face it. The alternative is worse.
/// END ACT ///
In Rwanda, the alternative is more insecurity, a
return to the ambushes and night time raids that
have decreased since the start of Congo's war
last August.
When they are moving freely across the border,
Rwanda's army has always been able to blunt
members of the extremist Interahamwe militia. A
hearts-and-minds campaign in Rwanda has also made
some progress improving cooperation with local
civilians who previously helped the militia.
Ending that threat of ethnic violence is Rwanda's
goal in any peace deal. If the Lusaka plan
delivers that, people here say that is fine. If
it does not, Rwanda is ready to keep fighting.
Congolese rebel spokesman, Lambert Mende, says
that is what he thinks will happen. He says
negotiators in Lusaka failed to recognize how
seriously Rwanda and Uganda take border security.
/// MENDE ACT ///
People were too complacent in this cease-
fire process. So we are now going to see,
to witness the consequences of the weakness
of the process because those Interahamwe
are not going to be disarmed and this will
not help for the disengagement of Rwanda
and Uganda. So this will undermine the
whole process.
/// END ACT ///
After five years on the run, many of those
responsible for the genocide will be hard to
track down. Some are now members of national
armies. Others will likely leave Congo and join
another conflict. Few will surrender themselves
quietly to 20-thousand peacekeepers promised as
part of the Lusaka plan. (SIGNED)
NEB/SS/GE/LTD/KL
08-Sep-1999 08:00 AM EDT (08-Sep-1999 1200 UTC)
NNNN
Source: Voice of America
.
|
NEWSLETTER
|
|
Join the GlobalSecurity.org mailing list
|
|
|
