14 ^th, August 1995

RDR has just learnt from reliable sources, that the non-aligned movement with the support of USA, may have tabled before the U.N Security Council a draft resolution calling for the lifting of the arms embargo imposed on Rwanda on 17^th May 94.

This new twist in the rwandan crisis take place amid the rising of the hardline faction within RPF as well as an escalation of political murders, targeting hutu elite.

Indeed, during the last couple of weeks, two local administrators, and a catholic priest, all of them hutu, were murdered in quite similar coward circumstances (KOLONI Placide, HABINSHUTI Oreste and Father Pie NTAHOBARI).

While denouncing beforehand any attempt to lift that embargo, RDR would like to remind the international community, that the embargo had been, imposed on the rwandan governement as an institution and not members of the then government in their private capacity.

Since all the ingredients that had warranted the imposition of the embargo are still prevailing (i.e. insecurity, gross violations of human rights, danger of a large scale ethnic strife ...), the lifting of the arms embargo would be an unprecedented disgrace for the Security Council.

RDR is particularly concerned about the consequences that such a resolution could have on the problem of the over 2.5 million hutu refugees which is already in a deadlock. Therefore, RDR calls upon the U.N to properly weigh the magnitude of the problem and accordingly face its responsibility of peace keeping. The security council would rather get more credit in condemning the escalation of political violence in Rwanda instead of exarcebating the crisis by condoning the proliferation of arms inside Rwanda.

Lastly, RDR reaffirms that the lifting of that embargo would amount to a greenlight to the RPF repressive policy, and a success of its diversionary propaganda on alleged arms supplies to rwandese refugees which was denied by many independent sources.

For RDR