Probe into allegations of arms supplies to continue: UN troops leave, new office to be set up.

The International Commission of Inquiry investigating reports of violations of a UN embargo on arms supply to former Rwandan Government Forces should continue to probe into allegations of weapons being shipped to former soldiers now living in refugee camps in the region, according to the Security Council.

Under resolution 1053 (1996), adopted unanimously on 23 April, Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali was asked l to consult with States neighbouring Rwanda, particularly Zaire, regarding the possible stationing of UN observers to monitor airfields and other transport points in and around border crossing areas.

The allegations of illegal arms sales to former Rwandan Government Forces (RGF), in contravention of the UN arms embargo imposed under resolutions 918(1994),997 (1995) and 1011 (1995), were cause for "grave concern", declared the Council. It asked the Secretary-General to maintain the Commission "to follow up its earlier investigations and to stand ready to pursue any further allegations" of arms shipments. The Council was "determined" that the embargo be fully implemented.

Under the resolution, States in the Great Lakes region of Central Africa were called on to ensure that their territories were not used as bases for armed groups "to launch incursions or attacks against any other State in violation of principles of international law" and the UN Charter.

States, in particular those whose nationals were implicated in a 13 March report of the Commission, were called on to investigate "the apparent complicity" of their officials or private citizens in a June 1994 incident, in which arms were purchased from Seychelles, as well as in other suspected violations of relevant resolutions, and to make the results available to the Commission.

The importance of stemming the arms flows into the region was emphasized at the Council meeting. Particular concern was voiced about former RGF members being trained in neighbouring States for an armed incursion into Rwanda.

Rwanda welcomed the text, saying the "continuation of the Commission's work is vital for ensuring peace and security in the Great Lakes region", although the terms of reference did not fully equip the body for its tasks.

Remarking that Burundi, Rwanda and Zaire were "so closely interrelated that a cataclysm in one inevitably has repercussions in the others", Burundi stressed that it was essential they all work together. Zaire, while believing it had been unfairly singled out both by the Council and the Commission, said it "eagerly awaits the return to the region of the Commission of Inquiry and hopes that it will leave its prejudices in the dustbin of history and get down to its investigation".

Commission's report

The Council's action came on the heels of similar recommendations contained in the Commission's report, which was transmitted to the Council on 26January by the Secretary-General (S/1996/195). In a covering letter, Mr. Boutros-Ghali suggested that, in light of the recommendations in the report, the Council might authorize the Commission to continue its investigations.

The Commission reported that it was satisfied" that Seychelles, acting on the basis of an end-user certificate apparently issued by Zaire, authorized a sale of some 80 tons of AK-47 rifles, mortar shells and ammunition that were flown aboard an Air Zaire cargo plane from Seychelles to Goma, Zaire on 17 and 19 June 1994. The Commission concluded it was "highly probable that a violation of the embargo had occurred and that the weapons had been transferred to the RGF fee Commission urged that Zaire again be asked to consider the stationing of UN observers on its territory to monitor the implementation of the embargo and deter the shipment of arms to the former RGF in violation of the embargo. Zaire and other Governments of the Great Lakes region should intensify efforts to make sure their territories were not used as platforms by armed groups to launch incursions, and to prevent military training and the sale or supply of weapons to militia groups.

In its interim report of 26 January (S/1996/67), the Commission had pointed to strong indications that certain Rwandan elements in Zaire were being trained to conduct incursions into Rwanda, and these were having a destabilizing effect. The UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) had briefed the Commission on "the increasing numbers of incursions into Rwanda from Zaire, the growing size and military skill of the groups involved and the extent of the loss caused to life and property as a result of their incursions, considerations which suggest that military training was being carried out". It was not able at that stage to confirm allegations regarding embargo violations by several countries, noting that a number of those countries had not yet replied to the Commission's inquiries.

In a 2 February letter (S/1996/84), Rwanda called for strengthening the capacity and resources of the Commission, which had an important role and impact on the peace and stability in the region, and for "appropriate measures" to be taken against the countries refusing to cooperate with it. On 23 February, Zaire also wrote (S/1996/132), recalling that it had requested the establishment of the Commission. It rejected "the accusation of lack of cooperation" levelled at it by the Commission, and asked that the Commission's terms of reference "be made very clear and be negotiated with" the Zairian Government.

The Council President, in a 13 February letter (S/1996/104), emphasized that Governments which had not yet responded to the Commission's inquiries should do so. Council members noted "the particular importance" of the Zairian Government's cooperation to successfully complete the Commission's work, stressing that they expected such cooperation.

In a 14 March letter (S/1996/202), the Secretary-General reported that the Committee which monitors the sale or supply of arms and related materiel to the Rwandan Government, established pursuant to resolution 918 (1994), had received no notifications of the export or import of arms to Rwanda.

Last UN troops leave

The action on the Commission's report came five days after the last UN troops departed Rwanda, bringing to an end a difficult peace-keeping mission that had borne much of the brunt of criticism for the failure of the international community to prevent acts of genocide. The withdrawal on 18 April of the remaining 362 UN peace-keepers ended the two-and-a-half-year old UNAMIR operation, originally mandated by Council resolution 872 (1993) to contribute "to the establishment and maintenance of a climate conducive to the secure installation and subsequent operation of the transitional Government", an institution which had been agreed to in the 4 August 1993 Arusha Peace Agreement.

As the last UNAMIR troops pulled out, the Secretary-General's Special Representative, Shaharyar Khan, prepared an inventory of what UNAMIR had done to help with Rwanda's reconstruction, over and above its official mandate. It had rebuilt 14 bridges; repaired 13 roads; made Kigali airport operational again; provided solar panels, antennas, repeaters and other equipment to get the telephone system back up; treated about 1,600 patients a day at its medical unit; vaccinated 62,000 people; and supplied medicines and trained hospital staff all over the country. The Mission had also provided transport to a million refugees and displaced persons; distributed food, seeds, agricultural tools and even cattle; helped relieve prison over-crowding, creating new space for 20,000 inmates and relocated 10,000; and cleared over 1,400 mines and disposed over 1,500 pieces of unexploded ordnances.

UN office to be set up

On 15 April, the Secretary-General reported (S/1996/286) that, subject to Rwanda's agreement and the availability of funds, a new UN office in Rwanda (UNOR) would be set up. The UN communications systems and radio station would also be maintained. On 24 April, a UN Spokesman reported that Rwanda had accepted UNOR's establishment and that its status and technicalities would be worked out later. Negotiations with the Rwandan Government on those matters had been complex and, at the Secretary-General's request, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs Marrack Goulding had gone to Kigali on 19 April to clarify modalities regarding UNOR.

Under Council resolution 1050 (1996) of 8 March, the Secretary-General, in agreement with the Government, had been encouraged to maintain a UN office in Rwanda to support the Government's efforts to promote national reconciliation, strengthen the judicial system, facilitate the return of refugees and rehabilitate the country's infrastructure.

The Secretary-General's arrangements for UNAMIR's withdrawal, slated to begin the next day, were also noted by the Council, which authorized those UNAMIR elements remaining in the country prior to their final withdrawal to contribute to the protection of the personnel and premises of the International Tribunal for Rwanda.

The Council also welcomed Rwanda's acceptance, in a 1 March letter (S/1996/176), of the Secretary-General's proposal to maintain the office of the Special Representative in Kigali for a period of six months. Rwanda also said that in addition to coordinating all UN activities, the Special Representative should monitor political developments and use his good offices to support the promotion of peace and national reconciliation.

`No alternative' to withdrawal

In a 29 February report (S/1996/149), Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali concluded that there seemed to be no alternative to the complete withdrawal of UNAMIR after 8 March, given the prevailing circumstances. While the UN still had a useful role to play in the country, he said, the Government had not consented to any of the options proposed by his Special Representative and had expressed strong reservations about the presence of UN troops after the Mission's expiry.

The Secretary-General proposed three options for a post-UNAMIR presence: a small political office to help the Government promote national reconciliation, strengthen the judicial system, facilitate the return of refugees and rebuild the infrastructure; a political office plus a military component to monitor and provide logistical support for the return of refugees; and a regional office to promote peace, stability and development in the region.

When Rwanda emerged from civil war and genocide with the establishment of the Government of National Unity on 19 July 1994, "conditions in the country were nothing short of disastrous", Mr. Boutros-Ghali said. There had been no administration, no functioning economy, no judicial or education system, no water or electricity supply, and no transport. The population, moreover, had been "in a state of profound shock".

Rwanda was now "returning to normal", though a significant portion of the population were still refugees or displaced persons, the report stated. Agricultural production had reached 82 per cent; industrial production, 75 per cent; child immunization, sanitation, urban water supply and health care, 80 per cent; and public transport, primary schools and university education, above 60 per cent.

In addition, UNAMIR, other UN and international agencies and non-governmental organizations (NGOs) had worked with the Government to restore the basic infrastructure. UNAMIR had helped construct transit camps for returning refugees, establish and train a new "gendarmerie" and communal police, clear mines and aid orphans. It had moved to reopen schools, rehabilitate health and sanitation facilities, ease the appalling prison situation, and provide a sense of security and confidence to NGOs operating in the country.

Another development, according to the report, was that former Presidents Amado Toumani Toure of Mali and Julius Nyerere of the United Republic of Tanzania, facilitators of the November 1995 Cairo Summit of Heads of State of the Great Lakes region, had visited Rwanda and other countries in the region to monitor steps being taken in pursuance of the recommendations adopted at the Summit. Those visits had contributed to an improvement in Rwanda's relations with Zaire and the United Republic of Tanzania, the Secretary-General said.

However, despite significant progress towards normalcy, Rwanda's relative peace was threatened as long as more than 1.5 million refugees were camped along its borders, he stressed. Former army elements and organized militias added to the threat and continued to intimidate refugees from returning. Refugees were also uncertain about security conditions inside Rwanda. UN troops could speed up repatriation by building confidence and providing logistical support.

Mr. Boutros-Ghali said he would soon submit recommendations to the General Assembly concerning the feasibility of transferring UNAMIR's nonlethal equipment to Rwanda, as recommended by the Council.

In a 25 March report (A/50/712/ Add.2), the Secretary-General said that, with the General Assembly's concurrence, he would earmark nonlethal assets valued at $9.2 million for Rwanda, as well as another $6.1 million in assets whose removal from Rwanda or repair was not cost-effective for the Organization. The bulk, or $47 million, of UNAMIR's assets would be transferred to other UN entities in Rwanda or to other peace-keeping operations and missions. (The Council had asked him to begin planning for a withdrawal and to examine the feasibility of transferring non-lethal equipment for use in Rwanda, under resolution 1029 (1995) of 12 December.)

Tribunal

According to the report, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda announced on 19 February the indictment of two persons, currently in the custody of the Zambian authorities, on charges of genocide and crimes against humanity. The first indictment, relating to eight accused and four massacre sites, had been submitted by the Special Prosecutor on 22 November 1995, according to the Tribunal's 11 March report (A/C.5/50/54). The Tribunal was established to prosecute persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda and by Rwandans in the territory of neighbouring States between 1 January and 31 December 1994.

The Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda (HRFOR) had been able to establish a presence in 10 of 11 prefectures. The Government had made clear its wish to have the presence of HRFOR maintained after the expiry of UNAMIR's mandate. The Secretary-General stressed: "I believe that HRFOR must continue to constitute an important element of the United Nations presence in Rwanda beyond 8 March." However, UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Jose Ayala Lasso had had great difficulties in securing sufficient voluntary contributions to fund the Operation, and unless those could be secured in the very near future, it would have to close down, the Secretary-General stressed.

On 29 February, the Security Council appointed Louise Arbour of Canada as the new Prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunals for the Former Yugoslavia and Rwanda. In unanimously adopting resolution 1047 (1996), the Council decided the appointment would be from 1 October 1996, the date the resignation of the current Prosecutor, Justice Richard J. Goldstone of South Africa, would take effect.

`Real progress'

On 30 January, the Secretary-General reported (A/50/868S/1996/61) "real progress" in restoring a sense of normalcy in Rwanda, including "a marked diminution of overt violence". Progress was also being made in rehabilitation, reconstruction and development Funds pledged by donor countries for the country's development had increased, as had actual disbursement, enabling the launching of a number of rehabilitation and reconstruction projects. The International Tribunal for Rwanda had issued its first indictments, and proceedings were scheduled to begin in March.

However, there had also been incidents setting back national reconciliation, including the defection of some senior civilian and military officials, on top of the departure of former Prime Minister Faustin Twagiramungu. Also, despite intense efforts on the part of the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR), refugees were returning only "at a trickle", something which was not expected to pick up significantly. The staffing level of HRFOR had fallen, due to insufficient financial support from donors, limiting its monitoring ability.

"Long-term peace in Rwanda will remain elusive as long as large concentrations of Rwandan nationals remain encamped in neighbouring countries", said the Secretary-General, adding that it would also depend on progress in ending "the prevailing environment of impunity" by bringing to justice those accused of genocide and massacres.

Having considered the progress report on UNAMIR, the Council, in a 13 February letter (S/1996/103), agreed with him that the UN still had a useful role to play in Rwanda and encouraged him to consult with the Government, as well as with relevant UN agencies, "on the appropriate nature of the role" after UNAMIR's wind-up. It also urged him to employ "flexibility" in settling the disposition of the Mission's equipment.

Humanitarian issue

"The most obvious lesson emerging from Rwanda is that prevention is the most sane and compassionate response if the international community is serious about helping communities besieged by crisis", Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs, Yasushi Akashi said on 12 March, on behalf of the executive heads of humanitarian agencies in addressing a meeting on the Multi-Donor Evaluation of Emergency Assistance to Rwanda. The study's central thesis concerned the enormity of what had happened in the country and the profound implications of genocide. The loss of life due to avoidable circumstances had compounded the tragedy.

Another important lesson from Rwanda was that humanitarian assistance could not be a substitute for political will, Mr. Akashi said. "Relief in a vacuum is tantamount to managing only the symptoms of a crisis." Noting that the study's findings and recommendations would be studied by individual agencies of the UN system, he added that extensive reforms were at ready under way.

Children scarred

Violence, rapes and killings happened right before the eyes of 95 per cent of Rwandan children during the genocide of 1994, according to a UN Children's Fund (UNICEF) report released on 8 March.

The children had been subjected to "unprecedented levels of exposure to traumatic events", declared UNICEF, which concluded that there was no baseline in modern history that allowed an adequate comparison of the magnitude of traumatic events that those children had personally witnessed during the genocide. The findings came out of a national baseline trauma survey undertaken in 1995 by UNICEF's Trauma Recovery Programme in Kigali. Over 3,000 children, between 8 and 19 years old were interviewed.

No aspect of the war had left the children untouched, the report noted. More than one third of the children interviewed had seen children taking part in killings; 31 per cent had witnessed rape; nearly 80 per cent had lost immediate family members in the violence; and more than one third had witnessed the murder of family members--many beaten or hacked to death with machetes. Almost all of the children believed they would die during the fighting.

Raped, widowed and landless women

A climate of peace must be established in Rwanda before there could be true reconciliation for its 500,000 widowed women and 400,000 orphaned children, the Committee on the Elimination of Discrimination against Women was told on 31 January. According to Venantie Mukarugomwa, Rwanda's Director for the Promotion of Women, many women had been raped, physically disabled and forced to witness killings of family members in the carnage which engulfed the country in 1994. Others had become infertile because of botched abortions, and most women had no access to health facilities.

Refugee funding shortfall

The UNHCR said it might have to drastically reduce its humanitarian programmes for refugees in the Great Lakes Region because of a serious shortfall in funding.

The Agency's voluntary repatriation programme for Rwanda might be severely set back, affecting its ability to cope in the event of a large scale return of refugees, a UN spokesman said on 16 February. There could also be cutbacks in the delivery of water, sanitation and health services, and the Agency might not be able to go ahead with plans to build 30,000 shelters for returnees. Activities in family unification and trauma treatment might also have to be curtailed.

The UN on 24 January proposed a $70.5 million programme to repair damage to the environment and infrastructure in countries hosting Rwandan refugees. The portfolio of projects will involve efforts to stop environmental damage, including an end to unregulated wood-cutting outside the refugee camps; reforestation; rehabilitation of roads, ports and communication facilities; sanitation, health and education services; and poverty alleviation and income generation. The projects--presented to a technical meeting of donors in Geneva, which was called by the UNHCR and the UN Development Programme--were designed to be implemented rapidly and would complement other activities already under way.

RELATED ARTICLE: Genocide: Two years ago

`Deep mark on the conscience of mankind'

The following is excerpted from a 4 April statement by Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali marking the occasion of the second anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda:

On behalf of the United Nations system, I wish to reiterate my profound compassion and my sincere condolences to all the survivors of that tragic nightmare, which left a deep mark on the conscience of mankind. The world must not allow such a tragedy to be repeated. Those responsible for committing such crimes should never go unpunished.

Since the United Nations was established half a century ago, there has been no world war. Nevertheless, the ceremony on the occasion of this second anniversary affords us a sad reminder that mankind continues to witness violence, injustice and suffering.

The deep expression of grief and the demonstration of solidarity towards the people of Rwanda constitute a glimmer of hope for the future. The international community, particularly non-governmental organizations and the specialized agencies of the United Nations, and the Government and people of Rwanda are working side by side in the reconstruction of a society psychologically, morally and physically rent asunder by the tragic events that we recall today.

Reconstruction and reconciliation are a vast and difficult task, but we owe it to ourselves to intensify our efforts to accomplish it. This effort constitutes the most appropriate and the most lasting tribute we can pay to the memory of those who lost their lives in the course of this tragedy. As Secretary-General of the United Nations, I wish to give here an assurance of the continuing support of the Organization for any action undertaken with a view to building a new Rwandan society based on tolerance, harmony and justice.