Citation
UNCLASSIFIED
AF PRESS GUIDANCE
April 7, 1994
RELEASED IN FULL
RWANDA/BURUNDI
Q. What can you tell us about yesterday's crash near Kigali of a
plane carrying the Rwandan and Burundi Presidents?
A: — LAST NIGHT, RWANDAN PRESIDENT JUVENAL HABYARIMANA'S
PRIVATE PLANE CRASHED ON APPROACH TO KIGALI AIRPORT,
KILLING THE RWANDAN PRESIDENT AND BURUNDI PRESIDENT
CYPRIEN NTARYAMIRA. THE TWO LEADERS WERE RETURNING
FROM A ONE-DAY REGIONAL SUMMIT ON BURUNDI HELD EARLIER IN
THE DAY IN DAR ES SALAAM, TANZANIA. PRESIDENT NTARYAMIRA
REPORTEDLY DECIDED TO RETURN IN PRESIDENT HABYARIMANA'S
PLANE AND SPEND THE NIGHT IN KIGALI. THE WHITE HOUSE IS
ISSUING A STATEMENT EXPRESSING U.S. CONDOLENCES.
WE DO NOT KNOW THE CAUSE OF THE CRASH. THERE ARE
REPORTS THAT THE PLANE WAS FIRED ON PRIOR TO THE CRASH,
BUT THESE REPORTS HAVE NOT BEEN CONFIRMED.
Q. Do we know of any other casualties?
A:
WE DO NOT YET KNOW WHO ELSE WAS TRAVELING ON THE PLANE
AND WHETHER THERE WERE OTHER CASUALTIES. THERE ARE NO
REPORTS OF ANY SURVIVORS.
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW
AUTHORITY: HARRY IL MELONE
/I D24 I
4 tee*
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O. What can you tell us about the two Presidents?
A:
HABYARIMANA, AGE 57, CAME TO POWER IN
RWANDA IN A MILITARY COUP IN 1973. AT THE
BEGINNING OF THE YEAR, HE WAS SWORN IN AS
PRESIDENT OF THE BROAD-BASED TRANSITION
GOVERNMENT PROVIDED FOR UNDER THE ARUSHA
ACCORDS. THE TRANSITION GOVERNMENT, WHICH IS
TO INCLUDE REPRESENTATIVES OF THE REBEL
RWANDAN PATRIOTIC FRONT, IS TO LEAD THE
COUNTRY TO MULTIPARTY ELECTIONS AT THE END
OF A 22-MONTH TRANSITION PERIOD. THE
TRANSITION PRIME MINISTER, CABINET, AND
ASSEMBLY HAVE NOT YET BEEN SWORN IN.
NTARYAMIRA, 39, WAS CHOSEN BY THE NATIONAL
ASSEMBLY TO FILL THE VACANCY LEFT BY THE
ASSASSINATION OF PRESIDENT NDADAYE. HE WAS
SWORN IN AS PRESIDENT IN FEBRUARY. HE HAD
PREVIOUSLY SERVED AS MINISTER OF AGRICULTURE
IN THE NDADAYE ADMINISTRATION.
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Q. Who succeeds the two leaders?
A:
UNDER THE BURUNDI CONSTITUTION, THE
PRESIDENT OF THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ACTS AS
INTERIM PRESIDENT UNTIL THE NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
SELECTS A SUCCESSOR. THE SUCCESSION IS NOT
CLEAR IN RWANDA. THE ARUSHA ACCORD
PROVIDES THAT THE PRESIDENT OF THE TRANSITION
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY ASSUMES THE PRESIDENCY
ON AN INTERIM BASIS. HOWEVER, THE ASSEMBLY
HAS NOT YET BEEN INSTALLED.
_
0. Has there been any violence In eitherCountry as a result of
the deaths?
A: -- BOTH OUR EMBASSIES IN KIGALI AND BUJUMBURA
REPORT THAT THE CITIES ARE RELATIVELY CALM,
ALTHOUGH AN INCREASE IN SPORADIC GUNFIRE AND
GRENADE EXPLOSIONS WAS NOTED IN . KIGALI. BOTH
POSTS HAVE INSTRUCTED THE AMERICAN
COMMUNITY TO STAY AT HOME UNTIL FURTHER
NOTICE. ALL AMERICANS ARE BELIEVED SAFE.
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Q. How much aid do we provide to these countries?
A: —
THE U.S. IS PROVIDING APPROXIMATELY $18 MILLION
IN EMERGENCY RELIEF TO BURUNDI REFUGEES AND
INTERNALLY DISPLACED. U.S. ECONOMIC
ASSISTANCE TO BURUNDI IS BUDGETED AT $8
MILLION FOR FY-94. WE SUPPORT FAMILY PLANNING
SERVICES AND MATERNAL AND CHILD HEALTH CARE,
PRIVATIZATION AND ENTERPRISE CREATION, AND
RURAL DEVELOPMENT. WE HAVE ALSO PROVIDED
ASSISTANCE TO THE DEMOCRATIC REFORM
PROCESS. WE SUSPENDED AID FOLLOWING THE
COUP ATTEMPT BUT LIFTED - THE AID SUSPENSION ON
DECEMBER 10, 1993.
OUR FY-94 BUDGET FOR DEVELOPMENT ASSISTANCE
IS $14.6 MILLION. OUR AID FOCUSES ON BUDGET
REFORM, DEMOCRATIZATION, PROMOTION OF
PRIVATE ENTERPRISE, FAMILY PLANNING, AND AIDS
PREVENTION. IN ADDITION, IN FY-93, WE PROVIDED
OVER $35 MILLION IN HUMANITARIAN AID TO
PERSONS DISPLACED BY THE WAR. SOME 350,000
REMAIN DISPLACED, AND WE ESTIMATE THAT
HUMANITARIAN AID WILL BE AT LEAST $10 MILLION IN
FY-94.
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04/07/94, 7-3139
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