S/2004/652

United Nations

Security Council

Distr.: General
16 August 2004
Original: English

Letter dated 16 August 2004 from the Permanent Representative
of Rwanda to the United Nations addressed to the President of the
Security Council
On instructions from my Government, I have the honour to transmit the
attached communiqué which was issued by the Government of Rwanda on
14 August 2004, concerning the massacre of more than 150 Banyamulenge refugees
in Burundi (see annex).
We request that the present letter and the communiqué be circulated to all
members of the Security Council as a document of the Council.
(Signed) Stanislas Kamanzi
Ambassador
Permanent Representative

04-46147 (E) 170804

*0446147*

 S/2004/652

Annex to the letter dated 16 August 2004 from the Permanent
Representative of Rwanda to the United Nations addressed to the
President of the Security Council
14 August 2004
The Government of Rwanda is shocked and horrified to learn of a massacre of
more than 150 Banyamulenge at the refugee camp of Katumba, in Burundi, which
occurred on the night of 13 August 2004.
Information available to the Government of the Republic of Rwanda indicates
that this despicable act was perpetrated by a combined force of exFAR/Interahamwe (FDLR/FOCA) and Mayi-Mayi from the Democratic Republic of
the Congo, in cooperation with elements of FNL/PALIPEHUTU.
The Government of the Republic of Rwanda wishes to remind the international
community that during and following the May/June 2004 events in Bukavu,
Banyamulenge refugees in Rwanda and Burundi have consistently affirmed that they
fled targeted and systematic massacres against them by armed forces of the
Democratic Republic of the Congo under the command of Mbuza Mabe, acting in
concert with the ex-FAR/Interahamwe.
To our surprise, MONUC, which is supposed to be the eyes, ears and voice of
the international community in the region, claims to have seen no evidence of
targeted massacres of this community. We believe that the latest massacre at
Katumba lays this feeble lie to rest.
The Government of Rwanda strongly condemns this recent targeted massacre
of Banyamulenge which is a result of the genocidal ideology that currently holds
sway in our region, nurtured and propagated by ex-FAR/Interahamwe forces and
those in the region and the wider international community who give them assistance
and succour.
The Government of Rwanda is gravely disturbed that for the last 10 years the
international
community
has
consistently
refused
to
disarm
the
ex-FAR/Interahamwe, the force that committed genocide in Rwanda, or to take any
other decisive action against them. Despite numerous United Nations Security
Council resolutions expressly forbidding any Member State from providing military,
political and diplomatic support to these genocidal forces, some members of the
international community have consistently continued to extend support to them.
Although MONUC regularly meets the leadership of ex-FAR/Interahamwe and
is fully aware of the location, strength, and movements of this genocidal force
around and across the borders between the Democratic Republic of the Congo and
Rwanda and Burundi, it has never intervened to foil attacks on Rwanda or Burundi
or even warned these two countries of impending attacks. This failure to act has had
devastating consequences for innocent civilians in these two countries. In addition
to this, MONUC and the tenth military region of the Democratic Republic of the
Congo have recently observed and/or facilitated the return to their mother units of
genocidal forces fleeing military operations carried out by Burundi armed forces.
The Government of Rwanda once again calls upon the international
community to take action against this incipient ethnic cleansing now taking root in
the region and especially in the eastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. We also
reiterate our demand for the forcible disarmament, demobilization and repatriation

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 S/2004/652

of the ex-FAR/Interahamwe now deployed along Rwanda’s border and in many
cases co-located with armed forces of the Democratic Republic of the Congo; failure
to do so may force Rwanda to take appropriate measures in self-defence. Rwanda is
not prepared to accept or tolerate the status quo.

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