RDF Trains in IHL Through ICRC.

ICRC Press Release
11 June 07

From 28 May to 8 June, the ICRC and the Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) jointly held a course on international humanitarian law (IHL) for RDF instructors at a military academy in Nyakinama, in the Northern Province.

The following press release was issued by the ICRC in Kigali on 11 June 2007

During the two weeks, 18 instructors from different RDF services were trained in the rules of IHL, which they then had to put into practice during simulation exercises to demonstrate how these rules are applied in the field.

From operation planning to the formulation of orders, the evacuation of civilians and wounded people as well as the treatment of persons captured on the battlefield, the instructors had many opportunities, through simulations and case studies, to put their knowledge of IHL into practice.

As Frank Rusagara, commander of the Rwanda Military Academy explained, "the respect and teaching of IHL rules remains essential for RDF because it contributes to the reinforcement of the protection of civilians".

The instructors trained during this course will be deployed in military training institutions in Rwanda. Since 2000, the ICRC in collaboration with the Rwanda Defence Forces, has trained over one hundred fifty instructors in IHL.

For further information, please contact: Georgia Trismpioti, ICRC Kigali, tel: +250 57 73 44 or +250 08 30 50 69

Drought Leaves Lesotho with Food Shortage.

Tiisetso Motsoeneng
13 June 07
Mail & Guardian

A fifth of Lesotho's total population, or 400 000 people, will face food shortages this year after the country's cereal harvest was ravaged by the worst drought in 30 years, a fresh report has shown.

The report, compiled by the United Nation's Food and Agriculture Organisation (FAO) and the World Food Programme (WFP), showed that the crisis could be experienced as early as in the third quarter of this year, when about 140 000 people will need food assistance.

The report noted that the crisis was exacerbated by soaring cereal prices and few opportunities for casual labour in the aftermath of the failed season. Many farmers harvested little or nothing.

"The last thing Lesotho needed was another poor harvest since so many vulnerable people are already living on the edge, struggling to cope with the combined impact of successive crop failures, extreme poverty and HIV/Aids," said Amir Abdulla, WFP's regional director for Southern Africa.

Overall, national cereal production in 2007 is estimated at just 72 000 tons -- 40% less than the already low average of the previous five years. Lesotho's estimated annual cereal requirements are 360 000 tons.

Taking into consideration commercial imports and current food-aid supplies, the report estimated that 30 000 tons of cereals and 6 700 tonnes of other foods, or the equivalent in cash, would be required to meet the minimum needs.

While average yields decreased dramatically because of drought, there was also a 20% reduction in the area planted in cereals compared with the last five-year average.

Increasing amounts of arable land have been left uncultivated in the past two years because of unpredictable weather, a lack of cash for inputs and a shortage of farm labour due to the impact of HIV/Aids, the report said.

The report noted that the HIV/Aids pandemic, with infection rates running as high as an estimated 31%, is increasingly undermining economic resources in Lesotho, resulting in a visible lack of labour in rural areas.

However, it added that the greatest concern was the loss of purchasing power because of a dramatic rise in maize prices.

White maize prices in South Africa, the main supplier of maize in the region, have tripled in the last two years, and are currently over 50% higher than a year ago. Prices in Lesotho have also increased steeply.

"It is crucial that enough seeds, fertiliser and credit facilities be available in time for the next cropping season to give Lesotho a chance to improve production in 2008, weather conditions permitting," said Henri Josserand, chief of FAO's Global Information and Early Warning System.

The report also recommended that crop diversification and increased reliance on drought-tolerant crops be promoted.

Bilderberger Participants 2007

George Alogoskoufis, Minister of Economy and Finance (Greece);

Ali Babacan, Minister of Economic Affairs (Turkey);

Edward Balls, Economic Secretary to the Treasury (UK);

Francisco Pinto Balsemão, Chairman and CEO, IMPRESA, S.G.P.S.; Former Prime Minister (Portugal);

José M. Durão Barroso, President, European Commission (Portugal/International);

Franco Bernabé, Vice Chariman, Rothschild Europe (Italy);

Nicolas Beytout, Editor-in-Chief, Le Figaro (France);

Carl Bildt, Former Prime Minister (Sweden);

Hubert Burda, Publisher and CEO, Hubert Burda Media Holding (Belgium);

Philippe Camus, CEO, EADS (France);

Henri de Castries, Chairman of the Management Board and CEO, AXA (France);

Juan Luis Cebrian, Grupo PRISA media group (Spain);

Kenneth Clark, Member of Parliament (UK);

Timothy C. Collins, Senior Managing Director and CEO, Ripplewood Holdings, LLC (USA);

Bertrand Collomb, Chairman, Lafarge (France);

George A. David, Chairman, Coca-Cola H.B.C. S.A. (USA);

Kemal Dervis, Administrator, UNDP (Turkey);

Anders Eldrup, President, DONG A/S (Denmark);

John Elkann, Vice Chairman, Fiat S.p.A (Italy);

Martin S. Feldstein, President and CEO, National Bureau of Economic Research (USA);

Timothy F. Geithner, President and CEO, Federal Reserve Bank of New York (USA);

Paul A. Gigot, Editor of the Editorial Page, The Wall Street Journal (USA);

Dermot Gleeson, Chairman, AIB Group (Ireland);

Donald E. Graham, Chairman and CEO, The Washington Post Company (USA);

Victor Halberstadt, Professor of Economics, Leiden University; Former Honorary Secretary General of Bilderberg Meetings (the Netherlands);

Jean-Pierre Hansen, CEO, Suez-Tractebel S.A. (Belgium);

Richard N. Haass, President, Council on Foreign Relations (USA);

Richard C. Holbrooke, Vice Chairman, Perseus, LLC (USA);

Jaap G. Hoop de Scheffer, Secretary General, NATO (the Netherlands/International);

Allan B. Hubbard, Assistant to the President for Economic Policy, Director National Economic Council (USA);

Josef Joffe, Publisher-Editor, Die Zeit (Germany);

James A. Johnson, Vice Chairman, Perseus, LLC (USA);

Vernon E. Jordan, Jr., Senior Managing Director, Lazard Frères & Co. LLC (USA);

Anatole Kaletsky, Editor at Large, The Times (UK);

John Kerr of Kinlochard, Deputy Chairman, Royal Dutch Shell plc (the Netherlands);

Henry A. Kissinger, Chairman, Kissinger Associates (USA);

Mustafa V. Koç, Chariman, Koç Holding A.S. (Turkey);

Fehmi Koru, Senior Writer, Yeni Safek (Turkey);

Bernard Kouchner, Minister of Foreign Affairs (France);

Henry R. Kravis, Founding Partner, Kohlberg Kravis Roberts & Co. (USA);

Marie-Josée Kravis, Senior Fellow, Hudson Institute, Inc. (USA);

Neelie Kroes, Commissioner, European Commission (the Netherlands/International);

Ed Kronenburg, Director of the Private Office, NATO Headquarters (International);

William J. Luti, Special Assistant to the President for Defense Policy and Strategy, National Security Council (USA);

Jessica T. Mathews, President, Carnegie Endowment for International Peace (USA);

Frank McKenna, Ambassador to the US, member Carlyle Group (Canada);

Thierry de Montbrial, President, French Institute for International Relations (France);

Mario Monti, President, Universita Commerciale Luigi Bocconi (Italy);

Craig J. Mundie, Chief Technical Officer Advanced Strategies and Policy, Microsoft Corporation (USA);

Egil Myklebust, Chairman of the Board of Directors SAS, Norsk Hydro ASA (Norway);

Matthias Nass, Deputy Editor, Die Zeit (Germany);

Adnrzej Olechowski, Leader Civic Platform (Poland);

Jorma Ollila, Chairman, Royal Dutch Shell plc/Nokia (Finland);

George Osborne, Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer (UK);

Tommaso Padoa-Schioppa, Minister of Finance (Italy);

Richard N. Perle, Resident Fellow, American Enterprise Institute for Public Policy Research (USA);

Heather Reisman, Chair and CEO, Indigo Books & Music Inc. (Canada);

David Rockefeller (USA);

Matías Rodriguez Inciarte, Executive Vice Chairman, Grupo Santander Bank, (Spain);

Dennis B. Ross, Director, Washington Institute for Near East Policy (USA);

Otto Schily, Former Minister of Interior Affairs; Member of Parliament; Member of the Committee on Foreign Affairs (Germany);

Jürgen E. Schrempp, Former Chairman of the Board of Management, DaimlerChrysler AG (Germany);

Tøger Seidenfaden, Executive Editor-in-Chief, Politiken (Denmark);

Peter D. Sutherland, Chairman, BP plc and Chairman, Goldman Sachs International (Ireland);

Giulio Tremonti, Vice President of the Chamber of Deputies (Italy);

Jean-Claude Trichet, Governor, European Central Bank (France/International);

John Vinocur, Senior Correspondent, International Herald Tribune (USA);

Jacob Wallenberg, Chairman, Investor AB (Sweden);

Martin H. Wolf, Associate Editor and Economics Commentator, The Financial Times (UK);

James D. Wolfensohn, Special Envoy for the Gaza Disengagement (USA);

Robert B. Zoellick, Deputy Secretary of State (USA);

Klaus Zumwinkel, Chairman of the Board of Management, Deutsche Post AG (USA);

Adrian D. Wooldridge, Foreign Correspondent, The Economist.

U.S. Warplanes Hunting "Terrorists" in Puntland

MISNA
13 June 07

Authorities of the semi-autonomous Puntland region in
northern Somalia confirmed the presence in their air space of US warplanes on recognisance overflights in search of international terrorist hideouts. The announcement was made by Puntland’s Security minister Ibrahim Artan Ismail in a press conference held today in Bossaso, specifying that the authorities in the northern Somali region (self-proclaimed autonomous in 1991) authorised the US search and overflight operations in the mountainous area for suspected terrorists wanted by the US.

“The warplanes are looking for the hideouts and when they get them, they will bomb them”, added Ismail.

Reports and information have been circulating over the past 48 hours regarding the presence of warplanes in the skies of Puntland, even conducting low range overflights that frightened the residents of the areas in question. Ismail asked residents of the inland mountainous areas and the hilly shoreline “not to worry about planes flying over them”. Last June 2 a US navy destroyer and planes bombed the same mountain and coastal zones of Puntland, killing around a dozen people: local and foreign “terrorists”, according to local and US authorities, “civilians and Puntland security agents”, according to some local media.

Judge Wants Justice "Returned" for Genocide Victims in ICTR.

Hirondelle News Agency
13 June 07

The work of the international Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) will be finished when justice is returned to the victims of the massive crimes and when the facts are established in order to help with the reconciliation in Rwanda, affirmed Monday Judge Dennys Byron, the new President of the ICTR.

"Our work will not be completed until we meet the challenge given to us to establish the guilt or innocence of the accused, bring justice to the victims of the massive crimes that were committed and establish a record of facts that can aid reconciliation in Rwanda"; stated Judge Byron, elected last May, in his first statement to the personnel of the Tribunal.

This statement occurs one week before the presentation at the General Assembly of the United Nations of the assessment of the ICTR and its action plan until the announced term of its mandate. According to the Security Council of the United Nations, supervising body of the ICTR, the first instance trials at the ICTR must be finished by 31 December 2008.

Contrary to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) which has already announced that this timetable could not be respected, the ICTR has always ensured that this time frame would be respected by transferring certain defendants towards national jurisdictions, including Rwanda.

The ICTR, which will have cost a billion US dollar by the end of 2007, has until now tried 33 people, 26 are in proceedings and 8 await their trials to begin.

This statement occurs as the Prosecutor of the ICTR has stated his intention to announce, at this period of the year, his decision or not to take action on the investigations into the war crimes committed by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF, in power in Kigali). The ICTR has until now only tried close relations of the former Rwandan regime. (Editor: Emphasis mine.)

Rwandan Indicted for False ICTR Testimony.

Hirondelle News Agency
13 June 07

The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) issued Monday an indictment against a Rwandan witness accused of having given false testimony in the trial of Jean de Dieu Kamuhanda, former Minister of Higher Education and Scientific Research sentenced to life imprisonment, it was learned on Tuesday. Judge Jai Ram Reddy (Fiji) confirmed the indictment and issued a warrant for arrest of the witness code named GAA.

This is the Tribunal’s first prosecution for contempt of court and false testimony. The case arises out of an investigation by the Office of the Prosecutor on the direction of the Appeals Chamber when it upheld the conviction of Kamuhanda on 19 September 2005. Witnesses in the trial were allegedly induced to give false testimony under oath.

Witnesses in this trial would have been pressured to give false testimonies under oath, points out the text. The confirming judge issued the indictment on the basis of the written material submitted by the Prosecutor.

According to the Rules of Evidence and Procedure of the ICTR, "false testimony under oath is liable to a fine not exceeding 10 000 US dollars or to a prison sentence of a maximum of 5 years or both".

At the time of Kamuhanda’s appeal trial, in May 2005, GAA who had testified against the former minister in his first instance trial, changed sides and testified for the defense. He explained in front of the appeal judges that a woman, also a witness in that trial and designated by the code name GEK, had involved him in a smear campaign against Kamuhanda, which the woman, also heard in appeal, denied.

Mrs. GEK, on the contrary, accused two people who had presented themselves to her as ICTR agents, pertaining to the service of the protection of witnesses. She stated that they had tried to obtain her retraction after her preceding testimony.

Following these hearings, the Appeal Chamber had ordered the opening of an investigation. The official statement of the Prosecutor does not state the charges against the members of the ICTR.

The Chief-Prosecutor, Hassan Bubacar Jallow, had entrusted this work to a foreign lawyer at the court, American Loretta Lynch. The results of this investigation were initially to be made public but finally remained secret in spite of several requests, in particular, by the Registrar.

Arrest Warrant Issued for False Testimony at ICTR.

ICTR Press Release
12 June 2007

On 11 June, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) issued an indictment against a witness for giving false testimony during the trial of Jean de Dieu Kamuhanda. Judge Jai Ram Reddy (Fiji) confirmed the indictment and issued a warrant for arrest of the witness code named GAA.

This is the Tribunal’s first prosecution for contempt of court and false testimony. The case arises out of an investigation by the Office of the Prosecutor on the direction of the Appeals Chamber when it upheld the conviction of Kamuhanda on 19 September 2005. Witnesses in the trial were allegedly induced to give false testimony under oath.

The confirming judge issued the indictment on the basis of the written material submitted by the Prosecutor.

DDRRR Conference Opens in Kinshasa

MISNA
June 12 07

The international, UN sponsored, conference on the disarmament, demobilization and reintegration of former combatants and stability in Africa has opened at the Grand Hôtel in Kinshasa. Local sources told MISNA that the representatives of about 20 countries, state officials, armed forces officers and former rebels shall meet until June 14 at the summit. The meeting aims to improve DDR (Demobilization, Disarmament and Reintegration) programs in Africa, which has witnessed the most armed conflicts in the last few years. According to the DDR National Commission for DDR, CONADER, some 100,000 militiamen have put down their weapons but more than half was not able to benefit from the aid expected in being assisted toward a reintegration in civilian or military life: "this is the real problem" said Daniel Kawata of CONADER, "because it exposes us to risks of malcontent and demonstrations", apart from the fact that many former combatants lacking assistance choose a life of banditry or return to armed groups. At the opening of the conference, the Congolese minister of foreign affairs, Antipas Mbusa Nyamwisi said that "despite the progress, much is still left to do. Africa is still witnessing mauch violence. The conflicts prevent the African continent to fight for development". Yesterday, from Geneva, the UN Commissioner for Human Rights, Louise Arbour, warned of the "risk of a resumption of wide scale violence” in the RDC Congo in particular, calling on rulers to try those responsible for violating human rights “to end the impunity”.

Renewed Fighting In Darfur

MISNA
June 12 07

While diplomats from around the world are engaged in drawing up an accord for the deployment of a new peace contingent, in Darfur the attacks continue against civilians and clashes between anti-government movements and Sudanese regular forces or allies. Based on information released by the United Nations, at least nine civilians were killed and over a dozen wounded in a series of attacks in various areas of the western Sudanese region (almost as large as France), theatre since February 2003 to an internal conflict that has had extremely critical humanitarian consequences.

Based on the daily bulletin of the UNMIS (UN Mission in Sudan), on June 9 “Sudanese regular forces backed by local Arab militia attacked the villages of Sumo and Kenanga” (in West Darfur, one of three States that make up the region), killing one civilian and wounding another two, but also causing the total destruction of the Sumo village. Heavy fighting then erupted in the same area between the Sudan armed forces (SAF) and rebels of the SLA (Sudan Liberation Army) loyal to Abdulwahid Nur (one of the factions that did not sign last year’s peace accords). No toll is yet available of the fighting. Also on June 9, three civilians were killed in an attack by Arab militia in the outskirts of Sileia, a small town around 70km north of El Geneina (capital of West Darfur).The UNMIS bulletin indicated that on the previous day, in the same area three civilians were killed by Arab militia in an attack on Gozmino. While at least two were killed and three wounded in an attack carried out on June 8 by Arab militia at a water point used by inhabitants of the Ahmar village, 40km north-east of Kutum, in North Darfur.

MSF Worker Killed in CAR.

June 12 07
MISNA

A young French aid worker for the MSF (Doctors Without Borders) was killed yesterday in the Central African Republic (CAR). As referred in a statement released by the Non-Governmental Organisation, Elsa Serfass, 27, was shot dead yesterday morning near Paoua (north-west CAR), among the most volatile areas of the nation. It was the first time that the volunteer participated in an MSF mission and was travelling in the area as part of an “exploratory mission” for an assistance programme in favour of the civil population, for months forced to live in conditions described by the United Nations as “abhorrent”. The population of the area is in fact exposed to actions of rebel groups, bandits, common criminals, traffickers of all sorts, but also to reprisals conducted by the CAR armed forces.

Ibuka Challenges Survivor Census.

Hirondelle News Agency
12 June 07

Ibuka, the leading Rwandan organization of survivors of the 1944 genocide, launched sharp criticisms of the census of the rescapés, survivors, organized in all of the country by the ministry for the Local Administration, Good Governance and Social Affairs.

This census, which started on the following day of the 13th anniversary of the genocide, aims notably to equip the country with reliable data on the situation of the rescapés in order to better direct the activities of assistance

According to Naphtal Ahishakiye, chief of the Department of Memory within Ibuka, "all is in place" to arrive at results which do not correspond to reality. "We are ready to challenge them before it is too late", declared Mr. Ahishakiye in an interview with the Hirondelle agency

"The census sheet is full of errors, the questionnaire requires a certain educational level and a certain degree of confidence and intimacy to administer it", he argues. "The forced voluntary help of the investigators leads to carelessness; the population was not informed and, worse still, the investigators were not trained ", deplores the representative of Ibuka.

He worries, furthermore, that false rescapés might corrupt the census takers to be registered with an aim of profiting later from assistance. "It is not astonishing to think that we will soon be nearly 4 million rescapés", he joked.

And yet, he says, Ibuka had submitted to the ministry concerned a project, of a total cost of 400 million Rwandan francs, which envisaged, in particular, the training and the payment of the census takers.

This project, moreover, recommended the recruitment of the investigators among the rescapés themselves, in order to support the proximity and confidence, still according to the Ibuka representative.

During the 13th official commemoration of the genocide, on 7 April, President Paul Kagame asked for reliable data on the neediest survivors.

There currently exists a fund to assist the neediest survivors (Fonds d’assistance aux rescapés du génocide, FARG) but whose management has always been criticized by the survivors as well as by the highest authorities, including President Kagame.

More Accusations of Witness Tampering at ICTR.

Hirondelle News Agency.
12 June 07

François Cantier, the French lawyer of a defendant at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR), wrote to the Registrar of the Tribunal to complain about threats exerted in Rwanda on his potential witnesses and asked for the creation of an independent board of inquiry.

In this letter, the counsel of Tharcisse Renzaho, the former prefect of Kigali, asks the Registrar, chief of the administration of the ICTR, to solicit the Security Council of the United Nations so that it creates a board of inquiry on this subject. As of the opening of the trial, last January, he had expressed the state of these threats which weigh, according to him, on the equity of the trial.

"Taking into account the political context prevailing in Rwanda, I do not think that your Registrar’s Office is able to carry out such an investigation" wrote Cantier. "Furthermore, he adds, it will be impossible for us to give you the names of certain witnesses for fear that being questioned by your services may immediately lead to harassment in an official or semi-official way by the Rwandan authorities".

"The characteristic of justice rendered here is that it rests largely on testimonies" writes in this letter Cantier; recalling that the Anglo-Saxon procedure in effect at the ICTR expects the physical presence of witnesses before the Court.

According to him, on the eight witnesses whom he had had a presentiment of in Rwanda, three no longer wish to come because of fear, a fourth fled the country after being threatened, another is unreachable in prison and the sixth would like to have particular measures of protection. These threats intervened after, he regrets, he had communicated the names in accordance with the rules of procedure.

The majority of lawyers in front of the ICTR have, at one time or another of their defence arguments, complained about the threats made to their witnesses or a member of their families living in Rwanda. Monday morning, regretting the absence of his witness Gilles Saint-Laurent expressed the state of threats exerted against his family; at which the Prosecutor Mr. Ciré Bâ replied that these statements came from witnesses "eager to profit from savings and budgets". The proceedings were adjourned.

In order to protect the witnesses a particular service from the court takes care of them. Transported on a specially chartered aircraft, they are lodged in protected houses and their identities are protected. But because of the social overlap and the density of the Rwandan population, these precautions hold only a few hours before their absence is announced or that their anonymity is lifted.

Commonwealth SG Visits ICTR.

Hirondelle News Agency
12 June 07

Editor's Note: Recall that Rwanda has stated their desire to join the Commonwealth.

The general secretary for the Commonwealth, Don McKinnon, met on Friday the highest staff of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) at its headquaters in Arusha, Tanzania.

The secretary general for the Commonwealth «has promised to supporta promis the ICTR work for the international justice», indicated the tribunal statement.

« He also praised the work done by the tribunal in promoting the international justice and the national reconciliation in Rwanda»,The statement continued to say.

During that visit, McKinnon had a talk with the the president of ICTR, juge Dennis Byron, the prosecutor in chief, Hassan Bubacar Jallow as well as the registrar in chief, Adama Dieng.

The main objective of the discussion was based on « the cooperation and the judicial assistance » within countries which are members of the organisation dealing with the arrestation of accused sought by the ICTR.

Eighteen accused like are in exile. Those suspected include a person with the Argentina nationality who is charged with genocide and a milionnear Félicien Kabuga who should be living in Kenya, the country member of Commonwealth as it has stated by the ICTR.

Created by the Security Council in November 1994, the ICTR , at that day has pronounced 28 condamned and 5 acquitted.

ICTR Published Ntawukuriryayo Indictment.

Hirondelle News Agency
12 June 07

At the beginning of the week, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) published an indictment issued in 2005 against Dominique Ntawukuriryayo, former administrative chief in the South of Rwanda which had been confidential until now.

The warrant of arrest issued against Ntawukuriryayo was also published. This decision was signed by the Fijian Judge Jai Ram Reddy at the request of the Prosecutor. Two indictments are still held confidential. 18 persons searched for by the Tribunal are at large. In total, the ICTR have prosecuted 90 persons.

The indictment of Ntawukuriryayo was filed by the Prosecutor on 13 June 2005 and confirmed the same day, whereas the warrant of arrest was issued on 21 September 2006.

Ntawukuriryayo, deputy prefect of Gisagara in the Butare prefecture in 1994 is accused of genocide, complicity of genocide and direct and public incitement to commit genocide.

“Between about 21 and 25 April 1994, Dominique Ntawukuriryayo collected soldiers and gendarmes from Butare and transported them to Kabuye hill to kill the Tutsis who were there”, the indictment states. “During the same period, he also collected ammunition from Butare which was used by attackers to kill the Tutsis at Kabuye hill”, the Prosecutor furthermore alleges.

“Towards the end of May 1994, in Muyage Commune, the Accused Dominique Ntawukuriryayo addressed the local population in front of the deputy burgomaster’s house and urged them to search for and kill all the Tutsis before Rwandan Patriotic Front reached Muyaga”, the text adds.

The order making the indictment public explains neither the reasons why the Prosecutor kept it confidential, nor why he finally gave up the confidentiality.

Ninety indictments have been issued by the Tribunal since its creation in 1994. Eighteen accused are at large, 72 were arrested and among them, 33 were tried.

Col. Marchal Gave KIBAT Permission to Return Fire.

Hirondelle News Agency
12 June 07

Belgian Colonel Luc Marchal, former second-in-command of UNAMIR, explained at the trial of Bernard Ntuyahaga that in spite of the rules of engagement of the United Nations he had ordered his soldiers to return fire in case they were threaten.

But the ten Belgian peacekeepers had been disarmed on April 7, little before 9 a.m., before being taken by Ntuyahaga to the military camp of Kigali where they were killed.

"I said and repeated that safety came first. One which feels unsafe uses what one has at one’s disposal and one discusses it afterwards. It was against the rules of engagement, but I assumed my responsibilities", explained Marchal. "It was often a dilemma between the safety of the men and that of those which we were protecting; it was the choice between the plague and cholera"

In 1997 a Belgian military court dismissed the charge of homicide due to a lack of prevention and precaution in the death of the peacekeepers against Colonel Marchal.

In his testimony, which lasted all of Monday, he recalled that "nobody ever imagined that something had to be done to rescue the Lotin platoon since nobody knew, except for some, that they were in the Kigali camp".

He only received in the morning of that day information detailing that a "Major of the FAR had disarmed and taken the peacekeepers to a UNAMIR base", without knowing if it was Bernard Ntuyahaga.

"As far as I am concerned, it was only after noon that the "Kigali camp" was pronounced to me", he specified. He explained that, on April 7, the following day of the attack against the plane of president Habyarimana, many problems arose at UNAMIR, and that the situation of the peacekeepers, on his level of command, was "only one among others".

Pointing out the "ridiculous" means of the U.N. mission, he refuted to have underestimated the situation of the peacekeepers: "If we had adopted an aggressive attitude with respect to the FAR (Rwandan Armed Forces), we would have became a protagonist in the conflict. And we did not have the means for that"

According to him, since February the Rwandan authorities showed the desire to cooperate with UNAMIR. "We were in a situation where there was no reason to fear a tragic development" for the peacekeepers, he said.

When Belgian politicians, following the assassinations of the peacekeepers, decided to withdrawal their contingent, Luc Marchal stated that he informed his superiors that "it was going to be a blood bath".

"I thought that to leave like that amounted to desertion. I was well aware we were abandoning innocent people to die. In hindsight, one isolates the case of the ten peacekeepers, but it is all of UNAMIR that was confronted with a situation to which it could not face. However our duty was to help the Rwandan authorities so that the country did not sink into chaos.

DRC Invites Militia Members to Repatriate.

African Press Agency
9 June 07

The government of the Democratic Republic of Congo has encouraged the leaders of the militia operating in North and South Kivu provinces to get involved in the integration process, and has called on the "negative forces" whose presence on its territory is "undesirable" to disarm and to return to their countries.


The DRC government made this statement in a communiqué of the quadripartite meeting between DRC - Rwanda - Burundi - Uganda. The meeting, which the United States facilitated, was held on 6-7 June in Lubumbashi, the capital of South Kivu.

The government of Burundi expressed its concerns with the slowness noted in implementing the Overall Ceasefire Agreement with the Palupe Hutu FNL. It called on the leader of this movement to return to the country in order to complete the implementation of the agreement.

The Rwandan government reasserted that it welcomes the return of its citizens and that the returnees will continue to enjoy rights and obligations as all Rwandans, the same source said.

This government said it has accommodated and reinstated thousands of former members of armed groups, including the FDLR, of all ranks up to the commanders.

The Ugandan government is still committed to the Juba peace process and calls on the LRA to respect the ceasefire agreement and to assemble in Ri-Kwangba, in Sudan.

The member states reasserted their commitment to the political and military efforts aimed at suppressing the threat posed by the negative forces.

These political efforts will include among others the denial of refuge to the negative forces, denial of fundraising by such movements (including visas) and access to the media, including for the leaders of the militia operating in the eastern DRC.

The participants decided to meet in three months time in Kampala, ahead of a meeting of legal experts which will be held in one month’s time in Goma, DRC.

The Goma meeting will enable tme examine legal mechanisms and procedures to act against the people threatening peace in the countries of the Great Lakes region.

On this subject, they noted that progress was made in the establishment of a joint list of individuals who threaten regional security before agreeing that the chiefs of staff will meet in two months time in Kigali, Rwanda.

Eithiopia Promises to Launch Military Attacks on ONLF.

African Press Agency
9 June 07

APA-Addis Ababa (Ethiopia) Ethiopia has started taking military action against a rebel group in the eastern part of the country, APA learned Saturday.

The Ethiopian Prime Minister, Meles Zenawi told journalists at a press conference Saturday in Addis Ababa that the military action is being taken on the Ogaden National Liberation Front (ONLF), which reportedly killed 65 Ethiopians and 9 Chinese workers in the Ogaden region.

ONLF is active in the eastern part of the country, bordering Somalia, which is located some 900 kilometres from Addis Ababa.

“Military plans have begun to be implemented since the past couple of days on this rebel group,” Prime Minister Meles said. However, the Prime Minister did not give details of the military operation launched against the ONLF.

The rebel group is fighting for the secession of the Ogaden region, which is on of Ethiopia’s nine regional administrations. It also killed five people two weeks ago in the town of Jijiga in Ogaden, who were gathered to celebrate May 28 (the defeat of the former regime).

With regard to the situation in Somalia, Prime Minister Meles Zenawi, who on Tuesday visited Mogadishu told journalists that the international community needs to financially support the African Union peace keeping operations in Somalia where Ethiopian troops are still waiting for the deployment of more troops for them to withdraw from Somalia.

“We are waiting for the international community to support the AU operations in Somali and I think they have understood our financial burden,” Meles said.

Meanwhile, a delegation of the UN Security Council is expected to visit Ethiopia next week to meet with the AU officials and other UN agencies on the situation in Somalia. The Ethiopian PM is expected to hold talks with the delegation about the situation.