Fiche du document numéro 13344

Num
13344
Date
Friday April 22, 1994
Amj
Hms
Taille
82679
Titre
British aid agency blasts U.N. cuts in Rwanda
Cote
lba0000020011120dq4m01n2m
Source
Fonds d'archives
Type
Dépêche d'agence
Langue
EN
Citation
NAIROBI, April 22 (Reuter) - The aid agency Oxfam condemned on Friday
the U.N. Security Council's decision to slash the size of U.N. forces
in Rwanda to less than 300, saying thousands of civilians would lose
what little safety they had.

In a statement sent to Reuters in Nairobi, Oxfam United Kingdom and
Ireland Director David Bryer said:

We are outraged at this short-sighted callous decision. U.N. troops on
the ground in Kigali are doing their best, in terrible circumstances to
protect lives. They want to do more, not less.

If the Security Council makes them pull out, then many thousands of
civilians will almost certainly lose what little security they have.

The Security Council voted on Thursday to cut the number of U.N.
peacekeepers in Rwanda to a bare minimum of 270 despite fears a
withdrawal would increase killings and chaos in the country.

Some 1,500 members of the 2,500-strong U.N. Assistance Mission in
Rwanda were still in the country on Thursday.

Bryer said the Security Council seemed more concerned with its own
public relations than protecting people and sought to reduce damage to
the United Nations' image by pulling out forces rather than hearing how
they had to stand by while people were killed.

He said a better solution would be to extend the mandate of the U.N.
force and increase its strength to allow it to protect civilians.

Oxfam said the United Nations should postpone the withdrawal of its
forces at least until after peace talks opening on Saturday between the
Rwandan government and rebels in the northern Tanzanian town of Arusha.

It is obviously not feasible for an international force to extend
protection countrywide but...the U.N. Security Council should rethink
and maintain the existing number of troops in Kigali, Bryer said.

(c) Reuters Limited 1994

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