Fiche du document numéro 20700

Num
20700
Date
Wednesday April 13, 1994
Amj
Fichier
Taille
36787
Titre
[SG recommandation to stop UNAMIR. A NAM draft resolution based on Ch VII empowers UNAMIR to enforce public order and legality]
Cote
2498
Source
Fonds d'archives
NSA
Type
Document diplomatique, TD
Langue
EN
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.

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