Situation in refugee camps called 'dangerous.'(Rwanda)

Reports of "continuing intimidation and security problems" in camps for Rwandese refugees, particularly in Zaire, were the subject of grave concern by the Security Council on 10 February, when it condemned actions by former Rwandese leaders and their forces living in those camps aimed "to prevent the repatriation of refugees".

In a statement (S/PRST/1995/7) made by Council President Legwaila J. Legwaila of Botswana, the Council stressed that the "earliest possible action" was important in addressing the security problems. The present situation remained "dangerous for both refugees and relief workers", and was "potentially destabilizing for the subregion as a whole", it stated.

The Council also welcomed two agreements on refugees: one concluded on 27 January between the UN High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and Zaire to deploy 1,500 Zairian security forces and a UNHCR liaison group; the other between Zaire and Rwanda on the return of refugees and property.

Security arrangements endorsed

UNHCR efforts to put in place security arrangements in the Tanzanian camps were endorsed by the Council. UNHCR was also encouraged to address the situation in Burundi. Further measures in Rwanda were urged to ensure that refugees could return to their homes "without fear of retribution or persecution".

In that regard, the Council acknowledged the achievements of the Rwandese Government and encouraged it to continue to provide a framework for the action to be taken to repatriate the refugees, promote national reconciliation, and reinvigorate the political process. It also asked the international community to support the Government in its task.

Underlining the temporary nature of the refugee camps, the Council said that the return of refugees to their homes in Rwanda remained the ultimate goal. UN Secretary-General Boutros Boutros-Ghali was asked to explore "all options" and make further recommendations for ensuring camp security.

Under the terms of the 27 January agreement, the Zairian military and police security personnel would assist in the maintenance of law and order in refugee camps in the Goma, Bukavu and Uvira regions.

In a 1 February letter (S/1995/127), the Secretary-General said those personnel would take measures to prevent violence against and intimidation of refugees, provide protection for relief workers and for the storage and delivery of humanitarian assistance, and escort to the border of Rwanda those refugees who voluntarily chose to return to their homes.

The UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) would help escort repatriated refugees to their home communities. UNHCR would establish a liaison support group, composed of experienced security advisers, to be deployed in Goma and Bukavu.

An `unprecedented challenge'

On 25 January, the Secretary-General had cautioned that the "scope and complexity of the problems in the Rwandese refugee camps, especially those in Zaire, represent an unprecedented challenge". He reported (S/1995/65) that nearly 2 million Rwandese refugees remained in Burundi, the United Republic of Tanzania and Zaire.

Tripartite agreements had been signed by Rwanda with UNHCR and with the Governments of Burundi and Zaire on the voluntary repatriation of refugees, he went on. Dialogue on issues affecting the refugees in the United Republic of Tanzania and their repatriation to Rwanda was also continuing between those two countries.

Some 200,000 refugees had returned out of those who had left the country after the 6 April 1994 airplane crash that killed the Presidents of Rwanda and Burundi. The Secretary-General said the low number was due to intimidation by former government leaders, military and militia, and the refugees' fear of reprisals or of being unable to regain their property on returning.

In exploring a possible peace-keeping operation to address camp security, some 60 potential troop-contributing countries had been consulted, Mr. Boutros-Ghali said. However, as of 23 January, only one had formally offered a unit.

After a 30 November 1994 request by the Council, the Secretary-General had dispatched a joint Department of PeaceKeeping Operations/UNHCR technical mission to explore deployment of Zairian forces to assume responsibility for improving camp security, with support from a group of UN civilian police and military observers, he said.

However, by 23 January, only 4 of nearly 50 Member States approached had expressed interest in providing civilian police personnel. Of these, only one was French-speaking, he noted.

The possibility of UNAMIR providing military observers on a temporary basis, as well as the idea of training a local security force through contractual arrangements with a private organization, had also been pursued, again without success.

Noting that it had traditionally been the responsibility of the host countries to provide security in refugee camps, Mr. Boutros-Ghali concluded that the various options aimed at enhancing security in the camps through a peacekeeping operation "under one form or another, do not appear viable, at least at the present time".

While urging support for UNHCR efforts to follow up on discussions with Zaire and the United Republic of Tanzania, Mr. Boutros-Ghali said that "any effort to provide security in the camps would be futile unless parallel steps are also taken inside Rwanda to ensure that the refugees can return to their home communities without fear of retribution or persecution and to promote genuine national reconciliation between all segments of Rwandese society".

Resolution 978: Genocidal acts addressed

The Security Council on 27 February, in adopting resolution 978 (1995), urged States to arrest and detain persons "found within their territory against whom there is sufficient evidence that they were responsible for acts within the jurisdiction of the International Tribunal for Rwanda".

Those actions should be taken "in accordance with their national law and relevant standards of international law, pending prosecution by the International Tribunal" or by the appropriate national authorities, the Council said.

The International Tribunal has been authorized, under Council resolution 955 (1994) of 8 November 1994, to prosecute persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law in Rwanda, as well as Rwandese citizens responsible for such crimes committed in neighbouring States between 1 January and 31 December 1994.

By resolution 978 (1995), States were also urged to cooperate with representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and the Tribunal investigators in securing unimpeded access to the arrested and detained persons. In addition, the Council condemned all attacks against refugees in camps near Rwanda's borders and demanded that "such attacks immediately cease".

In debate, Rwanda's Permanent Representative Manzi Bakuramutsa said the resolution sent a "clear and firm message to other political and ethnic organizations that might be tempted to repeat what has happened in Rwanda, and tells them that their actions will not go unpunished".

The Council on 22 February, in resolution 977 (1995), designated Arusha, United Republic of Tanzania, as the Tribunal seat. In doing so, it noted the willingness of the Rwandese Government to cooperate with the new body.

In a 13 February report (S/1995/134), Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali had reported on the findings of a technical mission to Rwanda, Kenya and the United Republic of Tanzania. He said "justice and fairness" required that trial proceedings be held in a neutral territory. There were also serious security risks involved in bringing into Rwanda to stand trial the leaders of the previous regime alleged to have committed acts of genocide.

Honore Rakotomanana of Madagascar, Deputy Prosecutor of the Tribunal, arrived in Kigali on 26 January to launch investigative unit operations. According to that body's Statute, the Prosecutor for the international Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia shall also serve as Prosecutor for the Rwanda Tribunal.

Fund created

The Secretary-General on 24 January announced the creation of a voluntary fund to support its activities. Contributions would "enable an early start" to the Tribunal's work by allowing deployment of teams to Rwanda to investigate suspects in custody and identify and apprehend other suspects in neighbouring territories, he said.

On 10 February, the Security Council recommended an increase in the number of UNAMIR civilian police observers, from 90 to 120. More human rights officers were also requested.

A functioning judicial system was "essential in the government recovery programme for the establishment of internal security, and also for the return of refugees", the Council stated. Members also attached importance to establishing an effective mine-clearance programme in Rwanda and wanted Radio UNAMIR to "commence broadcasting without delay".

On 6 February, the Secretary-General reported (S/1995/107) that progress continued to be made in normalizing the situation in Rwanda, but "many challenges remain".

The Government was taking steps towards national reconciliation and reconstruction, he said; however, it lacked resources to run an effective public administration. Moreover, while civil administration was largely in place throughout Rwanda, important appointments, especially in such key sectors as the judiciary, remained to be made.

The newly-renamed "Government of National Unity" had presented an eight-point programme reiterating goals of rehabilitation and reconstruction, first set out when it was installed on 19 July 1994, he went on.

Steps had also been taken to reunify the army, with more than 2,200 members of the former Rwandese Government Forces (RGF) having undergone retraining. RGF officers had been given new appointments, including that of Deputy Chief of Staff and Chief of the Gendarmerie.

In accordance with the 1993 Arusha Peace Agreement, the Rwandese Government on 23 December 1994 had established a commission--composed of two representatives each of the Government, UNHCR and the refugee community, as well as a representative of the Organization of African Unity (OAU)--to finalize and implement a programme for repatriation and reintegration of refugees.

Reports of summary executions, secret detention, torture, banditry and other violent acts against civilians continued to be a matter of serious concern, the Secretary-General went on. "Fears of reprisals continue to exist among refugees and internally displaced persons", he said. Rwanda's court system was not yet functioning. its prisons were overcrowded, and thousands of suspects awaited trial. In addition to an effective court system, a professional police force was also needed to establish internal security, he informed the Council.

The UN Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda was helping to rehabilitate the justice system. but substantially more technical and financial aid was required.

The Secretary-General also said UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Jose Ayala Lasso had developed a programme of technical assistance in the administration of justice that included review of criminal cases of detainees. improvement in prison administration, establishment of civil dispute resolution mechanisms, and recruitment and training of civilian police.

`Operation Retour' launched

In the 6 February report, the Secretary-General said the force structure and deployment of UNAMIR had been adjusted, due to security developments in the camps and the border areas, an increase in armed attacks, and additional tasks relating to the security of human rights officers and Tribunal personnel.

With the aim of creating conditions that would give displaced persons the freedom to return home voluntarily, UNAMIR, from 13 to 15 December, had also enhanced security in the Kibeho and Ndago displaced person camps.

The success of that operation helped to establish suitable conditions for the launching on 29 December of Operation Retour--an integrated inter-agency initiative aimed at facilitating the safe resettlement of internally displaced persons. It provided security for the safe travel of displaced persons back to their homes, and protection once they reached them. It also provided medical, food, water and sanitation assistance in the home communes.

The Secretary-General also said the UN system and non-governmental organizations had continued to provide urgently needed assistance, particularly food, health and children's services, to displaced persons and other vulnerable population groups.

The needs of children in especially difficult circumstances, such as "child soldiers" between the ages of 10 and 16 years, had received particular attention, he said.

The mine-clearance plan called for marking and fencing operations and emergency mine clearance of key humanitarian facilities such as schools and hospitals.

He believed a "strong foundation" had been established for further progress. However, "if the present momentum in favour of Rwanda's recovery is to endure and grow, the support and participation of all Rwandese people is vital", he added. The Government must ensure that all Rwandese who had not participated in the genocide be given the opportunity to play a role in the national reconciliation process.

Seven nation mission

A seven-nation mission visited Rwanda on 12 and 13 February, in an effort to move forward national reconciliation. Its members were from China, the Czech Republic, Germany, Honduras, Indonesia, Nigeria and the United States. The decision to dispatch the mission was taken during Council consultations on 6 February.

In a 28 February report (S/1995/164), the mission declared: "Fear remains the single most important factor impeding the return of internally displaced persons and refugees': It recommended: "a framework for dialogue" between the Government, refugee representatives and the UN; a civic education programme: an effective mechanism to protect property rights: an effective civil administration throughout Rwanda: and unimpeded access for UNAMIR, humanitarian personnel and human rights monitors.

A "continuous process" of national reconciliation could be facilitated by efforts to promote repatriation and rehabilitation, and by concrete movement in the area of justice.

The Tribunal should become operational as soon as possible, with the Prosecutor's office beginning work in Rwanda. A list of persons sought for questioning in connection with violations of international humanitarian law should be established and made public.

A qualified team of civilian police observers should be deployed as early as possible to enable UNAMIR to assist in the training of a new, integrated national police force, it added.

Statistics are `grim'

On 20 January, the 1995 Consolidated Inter-Agency Appeal for Rwanda was launched in Geneva, seeking $710 million for emergency humanitarian relief inside Rwanda and the subregion.

"The statistics on Rwanda are grim--up to 1 million persons killed (or about 13 per cent of the population), an estimated 2 million people living outside the country and 3 50,000 displaced within the country, some 150,000 children orphaned and an economy which has declined by more than 50 per cent since the crisis began", Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs Peter Hansen said.

On 10 March, the World Food Programme (WFP) and UNHCR urged swift action to address dramatic food shortages threatening more than 3 million Rwandese and Burundi refugees.

At a donors meeting in Rome, the WFP said $385 million was needed this year for food and essential operational costs, but only $155 million had been pledged so far. Daily food rations were being cut in refugee camps, and officials were concerned this could "spark tensions and serious security problems in the camps and surrounding villages".

On 31 March, High Commissioner for Refugees Sadako Ogata, alarmed by the outflow of some 45,000 Rwandese refugees from camps in northern Burundi, called on Governments in the region to respect the principle of safe asylum.

At a February conference in Bujumbura, Burundi, on refugees, returnees and displaced persons, jointly organized by UNHCR and the OAU, countries of the region approved a plan to allow refugees to return freely to their homes and pledged to respect their rights.

In a 23 March message to the sixth ministerial meeting of the Standing Advisory Committee on Security Questions in Central Africa, Secretary-General Boutros-Ghali referred to the "determination of your States to deal with the crucial question of security in your region", considering the "tragedies which Central Africa has witnessed recently and the serious threats which still hang over it". African States must help maintain peace and security on the continental, subcontinental and regional levels.