November 27,1996

In our press release nº 107 of November 22,1996 RDR had alerted the human rights fraternity about the Rwandese Patriotic Army massacres of at least 6500 Hutu refugees in Eastern Zaïre, but due to the unscrupulous RPF foreign lobby, our call for an investigation had so far ended like a lonely voice in the desert.

Thanks to the recent revelations by the London based Amnesty International about the massacres that occurred in the camps of Kibumba and Cimanga respectively in North and South Kivu, the issue of RPF atrocities is coming up again and RDR hopes that no more excuse will be brought forward to delay or let alone prevent an independent international commission of enquiry into these outrageous reports.

Although the Amnesty International report raised only the case of massacres of Kibumba and Cimanga camps, RDR insists that such killings did also occur in the camps of Katale, Kahindo, Mugunga in North Kivu, INERA, Kashusha and Muku in South Kivu and even in the town of Bukavu during the very first day of the invasion. Some people were even taken alive across to Rwanda and their fate remains still a mystery.

Since the presence of RPF soldiers in Eastern Zaire can hardly be disputed, even by the most RPF apologetists, a thorough investigation into the conduct of RPF soldiers in Eastern Zaïre throughout the invasion should be carried out, so that RPF be punished in accordance with the Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilians Populations in Time of War of 12 August 1949, and the Protocol Additional to the same.

RDR insists that the massacres were carried out by RPF and not the few Banyamurenge rebels who are confined only in the Uvira region. Moreover, the areas where the massacres occurred are all controlled up to date by RPF soldiers and in the particular case of Cimanga and the town of Bukavu , the assailants came with pre-compiled lists of people to be eliminated first, a clear indication that it was not the Banyamurenge who live a hundred

kilometres away and who do not know anybody by his name and former occupation.

While the whole attention is still focused on Zaïre, information reaching us indicate that the returnees who were recently kicked out of Zaïre by RPF soldiers and their proxies are getting it very rough.

Indeed, reliable information indicate that over 20 returnees hailing from Byumba prefecture have already been killed by the army. Local officials acknowledge that only 5 returnees, among which a prominent journalist and 4 former Rwandese Government Forces(RGF) members have "committed suicide after being discovered by local villagers as genociders". But this can not hold water because all of them died of bullets wounds and none of them was armed because they had been thoroughly checked on the way and on their arrival at home.

It will be a shame for the international community if the massacres of refugees in Eastern Zaire who were supposed to be protected by the United Nations,are not investigated and the culprit brought to book in accordance with international legal instruments. It will more so render all the talks about ending impunity in Rwanda just a mockery if the rules of justice can be mercilessly ridiculed and RPF atrocities covered up just to suit the interests of his backers. History will soon or later judge those who conspired to let such injustice happen.

This will ultimately compel the victims to resort to the use of all available means to resist RPF regime as a way of reclaiming their dignity and other legitimate aspirations of any free human being.