Citation
2498 – 13‐04
The Secretariat submitted information about the latest developments, a
letter from the SG with the recommendation (following the decision
of the Belgian Govt to withdraw the Belgian contingent from UNAMIR)
to stop the operation, and a letter from the Belgian perm rep on
the issue. A draft resolution on Rwanda submitted by NAM was
discussed in a very preliminary fashion.
The Secretariat informed that the situation in Kigali continues to be
unclear and parties are continuing the fighting. RPF has reinforced
their units in Kigali with armed contingents from the north and
south but army units are defending their positions. According to
news from Kigali, not all army units have yet been thrown into
the fighting, for unclear reasons. The cease-fire provided by the
RPF for the withdrawal of foreign nationals expires tomorrow at
1900 hrs local time. Once the Belgian troops withdraw, the UNAMIR
commander will not have enough forces to fulfill the mediation role
he has been doing so far, let alone fulfill his mandate. The RPF
continues to refuse talks about a truce. Nevertheless, it has
accepted the initiative of the defense minister to open talks,
under the condition that they will be only informal. The first
meeting in the presence of the SRSG and the UNAMIR commander should
take place tomorrow.
The Nigerian Amb then submitted a draft resolution, on behalf of the
NAM, which seeks answers to two key questions:
a. The urgency of the situation and the need for a timely and
adequate reaction
b. The inadequacy of UNAMIR’s current mandate.
The draft is based on Ch VII and empowers UNAMIR to enforce public
order and legality and to create interim national institutions. The
Nig Amb emphasized that this is only a basis for further
discussions. It is a provisional draft.
All speakers (Fr, UK, US, Arg, Brazil, RF, China, NZ) agreed on the following:
1. They expressed their puzzlement, even disenchantment over the SG’s
letter of 13 April which informs about planning UNAMIR’s withdrawal
as a consequence of the Belgian govt’s decision to pull out its
own contingent. Ambs of the UK, Fr and US pointed out that there
is no causal link between the decision of the Be govt, which is
motivated by the loss of its 10 troops and by political reasons,
and the necessity to end the PKO – an interpretation to which the
SG’s letter is at least open.
2. They rejected the extreme alternatives (Ch. VII and the complete
withdrawal of UNAMIR). It seems that most delegations support the
so-called Angola alternative of a curtailed UN presence in place.
3. The appealed to the OAU and particularly to neighboring countries
(Tanzania and Uganda, which has some sway over the RPF) to employ
all available measures to find a solution which in its first phase
has to include a truce and a cease-fire.
4. They appealed to the SG to prepare a preliminary report, on basis
of consultations with the UNAMIR commander and the SRSG, which
would contain an evaluation of the feasibility of each alternative.
