The 25^th October, 1995

In his speech made in New York, on the occasion of the 50^th anniversary of the UN and in an interview given to BBC on the 25^th October 1995, Mr Pasteur BIZIMUNGU, accused the international community of being the cause of the rwandan crisis in as far as it did not respect international conventions.

The Rally for the Return of Refugees and Democracy in Rwanda would like to point out to the international community that Mr Pasteur BIZIMUNGU brings out issues to which,indeed, the UN has not yet given any answer :

1. Who armed the former rwandan refugees organised in the Rwandese Patriotic Front ?

The rwandan problem is simply of a political nature. Mr BIZIMUNGU Pasteur fears that if a political solution is not found for more than two million refugees who are claiming for their right to return home in security and dignity, he runs the risk of seeing the present refugees doing what the 500.000 former refugees did in october 1990.

The Rally for the Return of Refugees and Democracy in Rwanda (RDR) would like to reiterate its appeal to the international community to help he rwandan people to be reconciled for the sake of durable peace in Rwanda and in the sub-region.

RDR would like to reiterate that reconciliation is not possible without equitable justice and giving a satisfactory answer to questions raised above.

The rwandan refugees have always given the minimum conditions that they consider indispensable for voluntary return to their homeland.

Instead of attacking the Heads of State in the region who insist on fair justice to be done for all the rwandan people, Mr BIZIMUNGU Pasteur and his government should have the courage to sit at a negotiation table with representatives of refugees to discuss together conditions required by the latter for their quick return home in security and human dignity.

The Rally for the Return of Refugees and Democracy in Rwanda (RDR) would like to draw the attention of the countries which have been so kind to receive millions of rwandese refugees that BIZIMUNGU Pasteur and his government do not want the return of millions of hutu refugees let alone intellectuals and hutu businessmen, the only ones with enough courage to denounce the responsibility of RPF, its government and Army for the assassination of President HABYARIMANA Juvénal and the massacre of more than 1 million hutus.

This is why Mr Pasteur BIZIMUNGU is insisting, more than ever before, on the arrest and detention of the so called suspects whose list has been disowned by the prosecutor of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. In his letter ref nº 950302/RG/GR which he wrote to Mr Luc de Temmerman on the 11^th October 1995, the Prosecutor, Mr GOLDSTONE points out the following : " at no time have I or my staff issued a list of named suspects, nor have we associated ourselves with any such list available in the public domain ... No suspect or accused will therefore be named by the Prosecutor before the formal indictment, and no indictments have yet been issued ..."

RDR requests that universal principles be respected, particularly that a person is considered innocent until proven guilty and that the International Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda be left to work independently of external interference.

RDR would like to remind the international community and the KIGALI government that dialogue and reconciliation are the only way to bring a durable solution to the rwandan tragedy.

No viable solution to the rwandan crisis will be found as long as refugees are not fully involved in all initiatives aimed at solving their problem.

For RDR

NZABANDORA Chris

Director of Information

P.O NKIRANUYE Wilson