RDR
Rally for the Return of Refugees and Democracy in Rwanda.
Ihuliro Liharanira Itahuka ly'Impunzi na Demokarasi mu Rwanda.
Rassemblement pour le Retour des Réfugiés et la Démocratie au Rwanda.
B.P. 10
4980 Trois Ponts
Belgique.
Téléphone: 00 32 75 89 75 71
Téléfax: 00 32 10458219
 

President William Jefferson Clinton
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Ave.
Washington, D.C. 20500

March 13, 1998
 

Dear Mr. President,

We have been informed of your up-coming visit to Africa starting on March 23rd 1998. May your visit usher in true peace and reconciliation for the suffering people of the Great Lakes region.

During your visit to Uganda, you plan to meet a number of African heads of states, including the leaders of Rwanda. You are aware, Mr President, that while your visit is truly an historic event, it is not without generating a torrent of criticism. There are those who see your visit, and perhaps rightly so, as a stamp of approval to some of the most brutal dictatorships on hand in Africa, particularly in the Great Lakes region.

Mr. President, in these waning years of the 20th century, this region has made itself infamous for being the theatre of genocides, the 1994 genocide against ethnic Tutsis in Rwanda by Hutu extremists, and the 1996-1997 genocide against ethnic Hutus refugees in former Eastern Zaire by the Tutsi dominated Rwanda Patriotic Army, which is in fact the Rwandan Government Forces led by General Paul Kagame. To this day, Rwandan security forces are still using the same strategy inside Rwanda which is responsible for several thousands of deaths of civilians, including women and children.

The oppressed people of Rwanda whom RDR represents would like to believe that your planned stop over at Kigali airport will be an excellent opportunity to put the record straight, and express the need for national reconciliation, the return for democracy and an independent judiciary as a condition for  the whole truth to come out  and  justice to take place in Rwanda.

Otherwise, how would you justify that those who masterminded and carried out the most recent crimes against helpless women and children refugees are still running around freely, and will actually get to be your hosts? How is it that leaders of the "unfree" world, including those of Rwanda, who planned and carried out the genocide of Hutu refugees in former Zaire in 1996 and 1997 can get to shake hands and sit on the same table with the leader of the free world?

As it has been very well documented by the last report established by your own administration, (please refer to Rwanda Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1997, Released by the U.S. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour on January 30, 1998.), these self-proclaimed rulers have highjacked democracy, freedom and justice away of their own people, all of which you are a strong advocate, and have substituted them with the "jungle law".  The oppressed people of Rwanda are particularly placing all their faith in you and hoping you will make this trip a memorable event that will challenge the current status-quo and change their lives for ever. While meeting with these leaders, we would like you to remember, Mr. President, that most of these leaders have the blood of thousands of innocent civilians all over their hands.

Mr. President, your visit to the great lakes region would really be nothing short of a blessing if you would make a personal decision, in light of the suffering of the people of Rwanda, to take on a forceful leadership role to address with the Rwandan authorities these most pressing issues:
 

Mr. President, it takes the courage of a true friend to promote love where there is hatred, good where there is evil, and truth where there is falsehood.  Unfortunately, the rise of  a "new breed of enlightened leadership for Africa" has also brought home this type of poisoned environment, and it will take the courage of a true friend to bring a message of hope, love, and unity to the people of the Great Lakes region.

In so doing, you can be assured of our support, for the Rally for the Return of Refugees and Democracy in Rwanda  has made a total and unwavering commitment to the peaceful settlement of the Rwandan conflict, and stands ready  to participate fully and positively in all efforts aimed at achieving this objective.

Sincerely yours,

Francois Nzabahimana
Chairman


Annexe: Quote from: ôRwanda Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1997, Released by the U.S. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour on January 30, 1998
Annexe: Quote from the Rwanda Country Report on Human Rights Practices for 1997, Released by the U.S. Bureau of Democracy, Human Rights and Labour on January 30, 1998

 "The judicial system functions only on a limited basis as in 1996. The security apparatus consists of the (largely tutsi) Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) and the gendarmerie, which is largely made up of RPA soldiers.

Security forces committed numerous serious human rights abuses. The Government continued to be responsible for numerous serious human rights abuses.  Citizens do not have the right to change their government. The RPA used brutal tactics and killed hundreds of civilians. Some killings were for
political reasons, some were acts of revenge, and some were committed during security sweeps. Prison conditions are harsh and life threatening.

Authorities hold more than 120,000 prisoners in overcrowded jails; most are accused of participating in the 1994 genocide. Due process rights provided in the Constitution are not assured. Genocide trials, which began at the end of 1996, continued, with approximately 200 cases completed. Trials for every accused person now held by the authorities are expected to take years to complete. Throughout the year, the Government released small numbers of suspects who had no completed files or were ill or elderly. At year's end, approximately 3,000 had been released. However, some of these suspects were subsequently rearrested. There were also reports of some revenge killings of those released. The authorities harassed and threatened journalists, and freedom of assembly and association, political activity, and freedom of movement are restricted. Discrimination and violence against women and discrimination against indigenous people are problems.

There were many credible reports of serious human rights abuses by RPA troops, including the killing of Hutu refugees in the eastern portion of the Democratic Republic of the Congo in early to mid-year. (see Section 1.g.).

Harsh prison conditions and mistreatment contributed to the deaths of many inmates (see Section 1.c.).

Political and Other Extrajudicial Killing : The RPA used excessive force in suppressing the insurgency along the north-western border and killed many civilians. No complete death total is available, but the UN Human Rights Field Office reported that 2,022 persons were killed by the RPA in May and June alone (see Section 1.a.).

This total comprised insurgents and civilians. There were credible reports that the RPA routinely killed suspected insurgent collaborators and their families, including women and children. In early March in Ruhengeri, an RPA regiment reacted brutally in responding to an attack on a government convoy, and systematically executed at least 100--perhaps as many as 400-civilians suspected of collaborating with insurgents.

In July Vice President Paul Kagame acknowledged in a press interview that government forces participated in the overthrow of the Mobutu regime by the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Congo/Zaire (ADFL).

There were many credible reports of serious human rights abuses by government troops, including the killing of Hutu refugees as troops took a lead role in capturing major towns and pursued remnants of Hutu insurgent groups. At year's end, a UN investigatory mission was conducting an investigation into these reports and reports of serious abuses by other forces operating in the same areas.

Respect for Political Rights: Citizens do not have the right to change their government through democratic means." End of quote.