S/2004/951

United Nations

Security Council

Distr.: General
6 December 2004
Original: English

Letter dated 6 December 2004 from the Permanent Representative
of Rwanda to the United Nations addressed to the President of the
Security Council
I have the honour to transmit herewith a copy of a communiqué issued by my
Government last Friday (see annex).
We request that the present letter and the communiqué be circulated as a
document of the Security Council.
(Signed) Stanislas Kamanzi
Ambassador
Permanent Representative

04-63593 (E) 061204

*0463593*

 S/2004/951

Annex to the letter dated 6 December 2004 from the Permanent
Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations addressed to the
President of the Security Council
Communiqué
The Government of the Republic of Rwanda has learned with surprise of the
declaration by the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo calling on all
Congolese to mobilize inter alia to fight a Rwandan invasion on the territory of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Government wishes to make the following
observations.
1.
There are currently no Rwandan troops on the territory of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo. The call for mobilization must therefore have other motives,
not the stated ones.
2.
The ex-FAR/Interahamwe forces are present and active in massive numbers
on the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and the President knows
this. Their aim is to continue to launch attacks on Rwanda, and kill Rwandans,
operating from their bases on the territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
If the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo does not remove the
threat of this genocidal force to Rwanda from the territory of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo in respect of her engagements under the Lusaka Ceasefire
Agreement of 1999, the Pretoria Agreement, and other agreements, including the
most recent Dar es Salaam declaration, then Rwanda reserves the right to respond as
she deems fit in defence of her people, her sovereignty, and territorial integrity.
3.
Rwanda is surprised that the President of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo has never publicly called on the Congolese people to mobilize against the exFAR/Interahamwe. We call on him to do so. The refusal to do that would simply
continue to suggest that, for the President of the Democratic Republic of the Congo,
these Rwandan genocidal forces are welcome and acceptable in the Democratic
Republic of the Congo.
4.
Rwanda has fulfilled all her obligations under all the agreements she has
signed with the Democratic Republic of the Congo. However, for five years now,
since the Lusaka Agreement, the Democratic Republic of the Congo has not fulfilled
her obligation to disarm and demobilize the genocidal forces on her territory. It is
not enough to just make declarations. Actions must and should be taken.
5.
During the last five years, the Government of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo has made detailed plans to disarm these groups. These plans and timetables
are annexes to the Lusaka and Pretoria Agreements. They have never been carried
out. Elaboration of new plans will not solve the problem unless the Government of
the Democratic Republic of the Congo is determined to act. If the Government
determines to act today, then the problem will be solved.
6.
The President claims Rwanda wants to dominate Congo, occupy it, and exploit
its resources. This is simply not true. The only problem between Rwanda and the
Democratic Republic of the Congo is the presence of ex-FAR/Interahamwe on the
territory of the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The Democratic Republic of the
Congo should deal with this issue instead of looking for red herrings and
unsubstantiated excuses. If the wealth of the Democratic Republic of the Congo is

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 S/2004/951

so easy to exploit, why is that country one of the poorest nations in the world? And
how come ordinary Congolese are as poor as ordinary Rwandans? That is the
question that the President should answer.
7.
Rwanda had hoped that the President would provide an answer from the FDLR
(ex-FAR/Interahamwe) public declarations that they were invited to the Democratic
Republic of the Congo by the President himself. His silence on this crucial issue
speaks volumes.
8.
Rwanda invites the leadership of the Democratic Republic of the Congo to
desist from any violent action based on manipulation and misinformation from a
neighbouring country.
9.
Finally, Rwanda is not an enemy of the Government of the Democratic
Republic of the Congo or her people, despite the very belligerent attitude and
declarations by the leadership of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

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