1. RDR is sending an S.O.S message to Heads of State of the Sub-region, to the UN , to OAU, to Human Rights Organisations, to Churches, to peace loving men and women, following blind and forced expulsion of rwandese refugees from Zaire. More than 14,000 refugees have been so far expelled under precarious conditions, in total violation of international convention on protection of refugees.

This operation has thrown refugees into complete disarray and general panic.

Instead of being sent into RPF notorious prisons which have become death traps or to be massacred by Rwandese Patriotic Front, refugees prefer to run deeper inside Zaïre, leaving the little subsistence means they had behind them.

Those who are courageous enough to stay in the camps are abandoned to themselves since humanitarian organisations, including the UNHCR have spontaneously stopped all assistance.

On top of the looting of property of refugees, the sheetings that serve as shelter are burnt down by zairean soldiers in charge of the operation.

The lack of concrete action of the International Community , particularly of the UN, and human rights organisations is shocking and calls to mind the attitude that was shown during and after the massacres of KIBEHO carried out by Rwandese Patriotic Army in April 1995.

In fact what is happening now is that refugees who resist expulsion are abandoned by humanitarian organisations and those who are forced to go are handed over like sheep for sacrifice to the very people they had fled.

These expulsions are taking place at time when information coming from Rwanda indicates that preparations are underway for an imminent attack of refugee camps in the North and South KIVU by the RPF Army. This comes as no surprise, because the Vice-President and Minister of Defense , Major General KAGAME had made such threats in a public speech he made on the 14^th of May 1995, in RWAMATAMU Commune - KIBUYE District.

While preparations are underway, a bloody repression is continuing inside the country particularly against the Hutu elite and the Hutu personalities close to MDR Party (Republican Democratic Party) of the Prime Minister TWAGIRAMUNGU Faustin who has been reduced to silence by RPF extremists. Two weeks back, the RPF Army almost repeated the KIBEHO holocaust by carrying out a general cordon and search operation in all the communes of GIKONGORO District, bordering NYUNGWE forest, under the pretext of looking for arms , when everybody knew that the operation was planned to get rid of unwanted Hutu.

2. For reasons yet to be known, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of BURUNDI recently released rumours widely broadcast on the national radio , that members of the former Rwandese Army and of the militia were fighting alongside forces of CNDD. Yet, no independent source has indicated so. The same officials said that insecurity around MABAYI in BURUNDI was caused by the presence of rwandese refugees in the area.

RDR fears that these rumours may pre-empt attacks against rwandese refugees under the pretext of retaliation.

3. During his recent visit to Rwanda, President Museveni of Uganda declared that his Army would intervene militarily to crush any resistance by the people to the authority of RPF regime whether from inside or outside. In other words the people of Rwanda are under a constant threat of repression by the Uganda Army in case they expressed their democratic right to resist injustice or undemocratic governance of their country. President Museveni threatened to unleash the worst punishment to anybody inside or outside who will give assistance to those fighting for their democratic rights.

Indeed, President Museveni considers Rwanda as another District of Uganda and the RPF repressive regime to be defended at all costs, instead of taking Rwanda as an independent country.

4. The Security Council which seems to be misinformed by the RPF lobby and arms dealers, instead of taking measures to cool down the tension in the region, has lifted an arms embargo on a regime whose record in the respect of Human rights is very low, hardily 3 months after its Army butchered more than 5,000 people, whose repression has put the country on the top of the list of countries with the highest number of prisoners living under unhuman conditions and threatening to attack at a large scale refugees in neighbouring countries.

In so doing, the Security Council and other Governments that support the militarist policy of RPF will be held responsible of any consequence of the militaristic ambitions of RPF in the Sub-region.

In order to be acceptable, the lifting of the embargo should have been linked to very stringent conditionalities, instead of window dressing measures:

5. Rwandese refugees reaffirm their inalienable rights for a peaceful return to their country in security and in dignity.

They refuse to succumb to blackmailing whose aim is to bring them into surrendering to RPF and meeting the worst humiliation in its hands .

They appeal to men and women who cherish justice, to help in pushing through these legitimate claims. They wish to live in peace with all fellow countrymen.

6. RDR supports the International Tribunal on Rwanda (I.T.R). RPF Government in its ploy to demonize rwandese refugees and its deep seated attempt to harass them, has submitted empty files to the ITR.

At present, it is ashamed that truth about what really took place in Rwanda since 1990, might come to surface. In this vein, RPF wants to launch a new war under the disguise of doing justice, before overwhelming charges against its leaders are brought to the ITR and known publically.

It is a great scandal to see the International Community funding the expansion or acquisition of remand facilities in Rwanda, instead of addressing first the case of those people languishing in prison for over a year without being charged. This is nothing but encouragement to RPF to go ahead with its arbitrary arrests.

It is overdue for western taxpayers to refuse that their money be spent on war adventures by a clique of individuals, who are desperately trying to cling to power against the verdict of the people.

7. RDR appeals to the International Community, particularly the UN, the OAU, the European Union, NGOs, Human right organisations , men and women of goodwill to deter RPF Government against attacking camps of rwandese refugees in Burundi and Zaire, thereby spreading terror and death in the sub-region.

8. RDR understands the burden of accommodating millions of rwandese refugees in Zaire, as well as the disappointment of the Government and people of Zaire over the ingratitude of UN and the International Community, who failed to appreciate these sacrifices.

However , RDR requests the zairean government, to rescind its decision and put an end to forced repatriation of rwandese refugees which amounts to sending them to death.

9. RDR calls upon the UN to fully assume the consequences of its mismanagement of the rwandese conflicts. RDR requests in particular that:

10. RDR remains convinced that dialogue and negotiation

are the prerequisite for a durable peace in Rwanda.

Dr. BUTARE Innocent

Executive Secretary