February 28, 2000

Press Release No 19

UFDR IS CONCERNED BY THE PREVALENT IMPUNITY AND PROMOTION OF SUSPECTED WAR CRIMINALS IN RWANDA

The Union of Rwandese Democratic Forces (UFDR), a Coalition formed by the Democratic Forces for Resistance (FRD), the Initiative Group for Reconciliation (GID) and the Rally for the Return of the Refugees and Democracy in Rwanda ( RDR), is deeply concerned by the continuing prevalence of impunity and promotion of suspected war criminals in top military and government posts in Rwanda, a situation which is conducive to more future violence if not addressed properly.

On February 18, 2000, the dictatorial government of Rwanda, led by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), appointed Colonel James Kabarebe, a notorious suspected war criminal withdrawn from the Democratic Republic of Congo, as deputy chief of staff of the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA). He replaces Colonel Frank Mugambage appointed as the head of the newly created National Police force. The Rwandan government also appointed Brigadier-General Marcel Gatsinzi, chief of staff of the Gendarmerie, and Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick Karegeya, director of the External Security Organization (ESO), respectively as general secretary and deputy of the newly created State Security Council. Instead of being brought to justice, notorious suspected war criminals are not only enjoying complete impunity in Rwanda but are also being promoted and rewarded top military and government posts. The UFDR denounces and condemns the impunity and promotion of notorious suspected war criminals to top Rwandan government posts.

Colonel James Kabarebe is among the chief planners and perpetrators of acts of genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, which claimed the life of more than 200000 Hutu refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo. In press interviews to Washington Post and the South African daily Mail & Guardian published on July 19, 1997 and August 8, 1997, respectively, Major-General Paul Kagame, Rwandan Vice-President and Minister for Defense, claimed that the Rwandan government had planned and led the military campaign that dispersed the refugee camps in Eastern Congo and ousted former President Mobutu. The impetus for the war, Kagame said, was the Hutu refugee camps. More than 200000 Rwandan Hutu refugees have been massacred in Democratic Republic of Congo by the Rwandan Patriotic Army in 1996-1997. At the time of the massacres, Colonel James Kabarebe was the most powerful commander in Congo and a principal strategist during the seven-month war that culminated in the overthrow of Mobutu regime. He ordered and supervised the massacres of more than 200000 Hutu refugees, mostly women, children and elderly.

These war crimes, crimes against humanity and acts of genocide have been well documented by the London-based Amnesty International in its numerous reports and press releases since 1996, United Nations Commission on Human Rights in its report entitled «Rapport sur les allégations de massacres et autres atteintes aux droits de l'homme ayant eu lieu à l'est du Zaïre (actuellement République Démocratique du Congo) depuis septembre 1996» (E/CN.4/1998/64) released on 23 January 1998`, by the United Nations Secretariat in its report entitled «Report of the Secretary-General's Investigative Team »(S/1998/581), by the New York-based Human Rights Watch in its report entitled «Democratic Republic of Congo - What Kabila is Hiding : Civilian Killings and Impunity in Congo» released in October 1997, by the Montreal-based International Centre for Human Rights and Democratic Development in its report entitled «International Non-Governmental Commission of inquiry into the massive violations of Human Rights committed in the Democratic Republic of Congo (former Zaire) 1996-1997» released in June 1998. In its Presidential Statement of 13 July 1998, the United Nations Security Council condemned these crimes and urged the governments of Rwanda and Democratic Republic of Congo to prosecute those responsible.

After the overthrow of Mobutu, Colonel James Kabarebe continued to play a key role in the military structure in Kinshasa. Previously an officer in the Ugandan and Rwandese armies, Colonel James Kabarebe became the chief of staff of the new Congolese army and participated in the first official talks between President Kabila and U.S. Ambassador Bill Richardson in Lubumbashi in early June 1997. In July 1998, President Kabila appointed General Celestin Kifua as the new chief of staff of the new Congolese army and appointed Colonel James Kabarebe as Special Military Adviser to the new Congolese army High Command. On 27 July 1998, President Kabila ordered all Rwandese and other foreign troops out of the DRC and on 2 August his Rwandese-backed opponents, many of them members of the DRC Government and the Forces armées congolaises (FAC), Congolese Armed Forces, who later formed the RCD coalition, began an armed campaign to overthrow him.

Colonel James Kabarebe acted as the officer in-charge of the Rwandan Patriotic Army (RPA) operations in the Democratic Republic of Congo, led the military rebellion against President Kabila, hijacked civilian planes he used to transport troops and military hardware from Goma to Matadi and cut elecricity to Kinshasa. His attempt to take Kinshasa foiled when Angola, Namibia and Zimbabwe intervened on Kabila's side. Colonel James Kabarebe retreat then in the eastern provinces of the Democratic Republic of Congo where he committed numerous massacres against the civilians in Kivu. Last year he organized a foiled assassination attempt against the RCD-Kisangani's leader, Wamba dia Wamba, supported by the Ugandan army (UPDF). He was recalled from his base in Kisangani after a commission of inquiry implicated him in the UPDF-RPA clashes in Kisangani last year in which over 200 Uganda and Rwandan soldiers died. It is an insult to the Rwandan people and a disregard to human dignity that such a man, a terrorist with the worst record of human rights violations, war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide and who would normally be brought to justice for his crimes, be appointed to such post.

On behalf of the Rwandan people wanting peace and prosperity for all in place of war and misery, fraternity and justice in place of hatred and injustice, democracy and freedom in place of dictatorship and oppression, the UFDR demands :

- all governments, international organizations and businesses to halt and stop all military training, supplies and flow of arms to the Rwandan Patriotic Army which has become an army without borders, responsible of aggression against neighboring countries, war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity in the African Great Lakes region,

- all governments, the United Nations Security Council and Secretariat , the office of the chief prosecutor to the International Criminal Tribunal on Rwanda (ICTR) and other international organizations to take all steps and necessary measures to ensure that all Rwandan war crimes' suspects are brought to justice because the Rwandan justice system is under the influence of suspected war criminals on power, lacks independence and fairness, and doesn't function properly.

- all governments and organizations to promote democracy and freedom, the culture of peace, the defense and respect of all human rights and fundamental freedoms in Rwanda.

For the UFDR,

Faustin Twagiramungu

Chairman

On his Behalf

Charles Ndereyehe

Vice-chairman

(signed)