13^th, September 1995

The RPF Army has once again shown the world its total defiance of the rule of law and of any respect of human life, by massacring in cold blood more than one hundred innocent civilians in and around KANAMA commune in GISENYI District.

The UN troops and human rights monitors revealed the massacres on he 12^th September 1995. Reports indicate that RPF soldiers initially prevented the UN monitors and humanitarian organisations to reach the scene of these massacres according to a spokesman of MSF. Such a behaviour is not surprising because RPF did not want to be caught pants down and wanted therefore to stage manage a scenario that would incriminate the innocent hutu refugees who have become victims of negative international propaganda.

It was shocking for instance that one lady journalist on BBC World News TODAY" at 10.p.m of 12^th September 1995, after interviewing UNAMIR spokesman FENT PAGE, who already indicated that the victims and assailants had not yet been identified, said that hutu militia from ZAIRE were suspected of having committed the atrocities, thus prejudicing the results of enquiries. Again the same message was passed on Network AFRICA at 7.30 a.m of September 13, 1995, after the UN Representative in KIGALI Mr KHAN had also indicated that the assailants were not yet known.

However, according to radio Rwanda in its news bulletin of 6'oclock in the moning of September 13, 1995, the massacres were carried out by the " Security Forces" after one of them, a Second Lieutenant " was allegedly killed by unknown gunmen at a roadblock, "enough reason" to kill more than one hundred people in the vicinity of the incident. Very reliable sources indicate that many bodies had been removed as usual before foreign observers were allowed to visit the scene.

This cowardly act by the RPF Army, coming at a time when it has been carrying out a cordon and search operation in the area, does not only testify to the unhuman behaviour of RPF but indicates further that the Army has gone out control. It has proved right the former Prime Minister, Mr TWAGIRAMUNGU Faustin, the Minister of Internal Affairs Mr Seth SENDASHONGA and the Minister of Justice, Mr NKUBITO Alphonse Marie who dared point out that general insecurity was fanned by the RPF Army.

RDR condemns in the strongest terms possible this cowardly and totally savage act and invites the international community to do the same. It is hoped that the same international community will accept to face the reality of the situation and acknowledge the genuiness of the fears of refugees to come back home. Resisting this hard truth could easily strengthen the speculation on the existence of a hidden agenda agreed upon between the RPF and some external powerful powers and NGOs to eliminate the hutu elite physically or psychologically and reduce the hutu peasantry to an equal number with the tutsi. For some people it has become more and more difficult to comprehend how the same powers which have sent their own people to wars to defend the cherished ideals of human rights and democracy can be so insensitive to the suffering of millions of innocent hutu population, because of crimes allegedly committed by a small fraction of their group, and excuse all crimes committed or being committed by the minority tutsi dominated government.

The dismissal of the leaders of the so called"hutu moderates" because they had complained to the Vice-President and Minister of Defense Major General KAGAME about the atrocities committed by his Army does not only demystify the myth of a broad based government in KIGALI but also amply demonstrates that the ARMY has a free hand to commit atrocities with impunity.

The RDR calls for an independent international commission of enquiry to carry out enquiries on this savage act, since the UN Representative in KIGALI, S. KHAN has distinguished himself as an RPF advocate.

It is surprising to hear him saying that enquiries are still going on when at the same time Radio Rwanda had confirmed that the cowardly act had been carried out by RPF Army. Isn't it being more catholic than the Pope ?

For RDR

NZABANDORA Chris

Director of Information