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ACTION AF-01
INFO
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BE5D33 231725Z /38
0 231723Z APR 95
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 0540
INFO RWANDA COLLECTIVE PRIORITY
UNCLAS KIGALI 001259
BRUSSELS FOR AF A/S MOOSE
GENEVA FOR RMA; ROME PASS FODAG
E.O. 12356:NA
TAGS: PINS, MOPS, PHUM, PREF RW
SUBJECT: UPDATE ON TRAGEDY AT KIBEHO
INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS CAMP
1. AS PREVIOUSLY REPORTED, FOUR DAYS OF UNREST AT KIBEHO
INTERNALLY DISPLACED PERSONS (IDP) CAMP WHICH BEGAN APRIL
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18 WHEN THE RPA SURROUNDED THE CAMP WITH THE INTENTION OF
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: JOHN L MILLS
DATE/CASE ID: 15 SEP 2008 200103014
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EUR-01
L-01
PA-02
SS-00
PRME-01
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CLOSING IT DOWN, ENDED IN GREAT LOSS OF LIFE SATURDAY
APRIL 22 WHEN THE RPA OPENED FIRE ON A GROUP OF SEVERAL
THOUSAND ATTEMPTING TO BREAK OUT OF THE CAMP WITHOUT
FOLLOWING RPA REGISTRATION PROCEDURES. LATEST ESTIMATES
FROM UN SOURCES ARE AS MANY AS 5000 DEAD, SOME 2000
SUFFERING INJURIES AS A RESULT OF THE FIREFIGHT, PANIC,
AHD STAMPEDE. UNAMIR REPORTS THAT THE RPA OPENED FIRE
USING RIFLES, MACHINE GUNS, MORTARS, AND ROCKET-PROPELLED
GRENADES. THERE ARE CREDIBLE REPORTS THAT ELEMENTS
WITHIN THE CAMP FIRED ON RPA LINES. THERE ARE ALSO
REPORTS OF MANY DEATHS AND WOUNDS FROM MACHETES, THESE
MOST LIKELY PERPETRATED BY CAMP RESIDENTS. THE INCIDENT
TOOK PLACE IN THE DARK, IN THE RAIN, AND DETAILS OF THE
ACTION ARE NOT LIKELY TO BE KNOWN WITH ANY CERTAINTY.
2. DATT AND OPSCO FLEW TO KIBEHO IN A UNAMIR HELICOPTER
APRIL 23. THEIR REPORT FOLLOWS SEPTEL.
3. BRIEFING BY SRSG KHAN:
AMBASSADOR AND ACTING DCM ATTENDED A BRIEFING ON THE
SITUATION GIVEN BY UN SRSG KHAN APRIL 23. KHAN REPORTED
THAT THE SITUATION IN KIBEHO HAD BEEN BREWING FOR A
"BLOWOUT" SINCE THE RPA FIRST MOVED ON THE CAMP APRIL 18.
THE REMAINING INMATES HAD NO SANITATION, LITTLE FOOD, AND
WERE HELD IN OVERCROWDED CONDITIONS. THERE HAD BEEN
TROUBLE AT THE CAMPS ON TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY EVENINGS,
WITH WHAT KHAN REFERRED TO AS "MACHETE ATTACKS." THE
CAMP, AFTER THE TRAGIC VIOLENCE OF APRIL 22, IS LARGELY
DESERTED NOW, THOUGH SOME 8000 INMATES, WHOM KHAN
REFERRED TO AS "THE HARD-CORE" REMAIN AT AN MSF HOSPITAL
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NEAR THE CAMPSITE. HE REPORTS THAT SOME SHOOTING HAS
BEEN TAKING PLACE AT THE HOSPITAL, WITH FIRING FROM BOTH
SIDES.
4. KHAN REPORTED THAT MOST OF THE SURVIVORS OF THE
VIOLENCE ARE EN ROUTE, ON FOOT, TO BUTARE, THE LARGEST
NEARBY TOWN SOME DISTANCE TO THE EAST. THERE, AND IN THE
COMMUNES TO WHICH OTHERS ARE BEING FORCIBLY REPATRIATED
IN RPA TRUCKS, THE INMATES ARE BEING RECEIVED WITH
PHYSICAL AND VERBAL ABUSE. ONE PARTICIPANT AT THE
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BRIEFING REPORTED THAT IN BUTARE, A TOWN NOW POPULATED
LARGELY BY FORMER TUTSI EXILES, THE INMATES MUST PASS A
GAUNTLET OF STICK-WIELDING TUTSIS WHO BEAT THE INMATES ON
ARRIVAL. SIMILAR HOSTILE RECEPTIONS EXPERIENCES HAVE
BEEN REPORTED IN SMALLER COMMUNES.
5. KHAN REPORTED THAT THE GOR AND RPA ARE REACTING
CAUTIOUSLY AND DEFENSIVELY TO THE TRAGEDY. HE SAID THAT
THE RPA'S ATTITUDE TOWARD THE IDP CAMPS HAS HARDENED, AND
THE MESSAGE SEEMS TO BE THAT ALL THE CAMPS SHOULD CLOSE.
ONE, AT NDAGO, IS VIRTUALLY DESERTED ALREADY; THE OTHER
TWO, AT KAMANA AND MANINI HAVE BEEN WARNED TO CLOSE DOWN.
KHAN SAID THAT THE RPA CHOSE TO MOVE FIRST ON KIBEHO
BECAUSE IT HAD BEEN A PROBLEM SITE WITH MANY NIGHT TIME
MACHETE RAIDS AND OTHER PROBLEMS.
6. KHAN COMPLAINED THAT ACCESS TO THE CAMP HAS BEEN
ARBITRARILY RESTRICTED. THE CONNECTION BETWEEN RPA
HEADQUARTERS IN KIGALI AND LOCAL COMMANDERS IS NOT
WORKING WELL, KHAN SAID. HE HAD HAD A GOOD MEETING WITH
VICE PRESIDENT AND MINISTER OF DEFENSE KAGAME APRIL 21
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GAINING AGREEMENT FOR ACCESS, HOT FOOD AND WATER FOR
INMATES AND WALK-AWAY PERMISSION AFTER SCREENING. THESE
MEASURES WERE NOT IMPLEMENTED BEFORE TENSION IN THE
ENCAMPMENT LED TO THE BLOWOUT. KHAN NOTED A
COMMUNICATION PROBLEM BETWEEN KIGALI POLICY MAKERS AND
RPA FIELD COMMANDERS. HUMAN RELIEF AND MEDICAL RELIEF
OPERATIONS HAVE STARTED, WITH ALL AGENCIES ENGAGED AND
COORDINATED THROUGH THE ALREADY EXISTING INTERNATIONAL
OPERATIONS CENTER (IOC). BUT CARING FOR THE NOW WIDELY
SCATTERED DISPLACE
D POPULATION AND FOR WOUNDED IN A
RWANDAN BACKWATER WILL PROVE DIFFICULT. SEPTEL ON RELIEF
MEASURES FOLLOWS.
7. GOR REACTION TO THE TRAGEDY HAS BEEN SLOW IN COMING,
WITH THE PRIME MINISTER IS QUOTED ON THE BBC AS "DEEPLY
REGRETTING" THE LOSS OF LIFE, AND THE MINISTER OF
REHABILITATION DEFENDING THE RPA'S ACTIONS, CLAIMING THEY
HAD BEEN PROVOKED BY VIOLENT ELEMENTS IN THE CAMP AND
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WERE ACTING IN SELF—DEFENSE. RAWSON
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