Citation
UU3 6
UNCLASSIFIED
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ACTION AF-01
GENEVA
INFO
AID-01
OIG0-01
OCS-06
PMB-00
LOG-00
EUR-01
NSAE-00
TRSE-00
04819
01 OF 02
AMAD-01
HA-09
01C-02
/050W
RELEASED IN PART
1.4(B), 1.4(D)
261703Z
CA-02
TEDE-00
PM-00
CIAE-00
INR-00
RP-10
OASY-00
10-16
SR-00
484A9B 261703Z /38
O 261703Z MAY 94
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9691
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
USEU BRUSSELS
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 01 OF 02 GENEVA 04819
STATE FOR AF, RP, IO, HA
ALSO PASS AID FOR BHR, BHR/OFDA, BHR/FFP
ROME FOR FODAG
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 02
GENEVA 04819 01 OF 02 2617032
TAGS: PREF, EAID, PHUM, PINK, AORC, MOPS, RW
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAWSON'S MEETING AT ICRC
HEADQUARTERS ON RWANDA; LATEST REPORT OF MASSACRES
REF: GENEVA 4605
1.
CONFIDENTIAL - ENTIRE TEXT.
2. SUMMARY. ICRC (strictly protect throughout) told
MissionOff on 5/26 that 500 Rwandans were massacred the
previous evening in the Kapgaye compound near Gitarama
on the basis of lists of those to be eliminated. The
ICRC compound in Kigali was hit for the second time with
shelling on 5/26. In a meeting with visiting ambassador
Rawson on 5/25, ICRC staff reported that selective
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE
REVIEW AUTHORITY: JOHN L MILLS
DATE/CASE ID: 12 NOV 2008 200103014
UNCLASSIFIED
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ADS-00
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killings continue. Ambassador Rawson briefed ICRC on
high-level USG efforts to establish safe passage for
endangered Rwandans to secure areas. END SUMMARY.
3. ON 5/25, VISITING AMBASSADOR DAVID RAWSON AND
MISSIONOFF MET AT THE HEADQUARTERS OF THE INTERNATIONAL
COMMITTEE OF THE RED CROSS WITH PAUL GROSSRIEDER, DEPUTY
DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS; JEAN-DANIEL TAUXE,
DELEGATE-GENERAL FOR AFRICA; AND DANIEL AUGSTBURGER,
RWANDA-BURUNDI DESK OFFICER.
4. AUGSTBURGER REPORTED THAT A SHELL HAD HIT THE ICRC
COMPOUND ON 5/25, RESULTING IN TWO FATALITIES AND FIVE
WOUNDED RWANDANS. ICRC'S STAFF IN KIGALI DID NOT YET
KNOW FROM WHERE THE SHELLING HAD COME. AMBASSADOR
RAWSON ASKED IF THE ICRC COMPOUND WAS HIT INTENTIONALLY,
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GENEVA 04819 01 OF 02 261703Z
AND TAUXE SAID THAT THE COMPOUND'S FIELD POSITION MADE
IT LIKELY THAT IT WAS UNINTENTIONAL.
5. AUGSTBURGER ALSO SAID THAT MASSACRES STILL GO ON.
AT THE LARGE KAPGAYE COMPOUND NEAR GITARAMA (A PORTION
OF WHICH IS OCCUPIED BY ICRC), RWANDANS ARE STILL BEING
ELIMINATED LITTLE BY LITTLE. THE SECURITY SITUATION HAS
DETERIORATED IN RUHENGERI. AUGSTBURGER ALSO SAID THAT
ICRC HAS BEEN PROVIDING MEDICAL CARE, FOOD ASSISTANCE
AND A SANITATION ENGINEER TO 7,500 TUTSIS IN CYANGUGU,
AND THAT THERE HAVE BEEN NO LARGE-SCALE MASSACRES THERE
SINCE ICRC BEGAN OPERATING. TAUXE SAID THAT PEOPLE WERE
STILL IN GREAT DANGER IN CYANGUGU, HOWEVER, AND HE
POINTED OUT THE INCIDENT IN WHICH 600 WHO HAD TRIED TO
LEAVE WERE KILLED BY MILITIA UPON RETURNING.
AUGSTBURGER SAID THAT SINCE LAST WEEK ICRC HAS BEEN
TRANSPORTING ASSISTANCE TO CYANGUGU VIA A PAVED ROAD IN
BURUNDI, RATHER THAN GOING VIA ZAIRE. HE SAID THEY HAVE
NO PROBLEMS WITH GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES IN BUKAVU,
ZAIRE. TAUXE SPOKE OF ICRC'S GOOD RELATIONS WITH THE
GOVERNER OF KIVU.
6. TAUXE DESCRIBED THREE CURRENT ICRC PROBLEMS
OPERATING IN RWANDA. IN KIGALI, THE CENTRAL HOSPITAL
WAS HIT AND ITS OPERATIONS THEATER DESTROYED ON 5/22;
1,500 WOUNDED HAD TO FIND THEIR WAY TO ICRC'S FIELD
HOSPITAL FOR CONTINUED MEDICAL CARE. SELECTIVE
MASSACRES CONTINUE TO OCCUR "ON ONE SIDE."
1
UNCLASSIFIED
1.4(B), 1.4(D)
UNCLASSIFIED
1.4(B), 1.4(D)
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GENEVA 04819 01 OF 02 261703Z
7. IN RESPONSE TO AMBASSADOR RAWSON'S QUESTION,
GROSSRIEDER REAFFIRMED HIS EARLIER ADVICE THAT IT WAS
IMPORTANT TO CONTACT AND SUPPORT CERTAIN KEY INTERIM
GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS (ESPECIALLY THE PRIME MINISTER,
GIVEN HIS APPARENT READINESS TO BE "MORE REASONABLE THAN
HIS ENVIRONMENT"). AMBASSADOR RAWSON THEN BRIEFED ICRC
ON NUMEROUS EFFORTS TAKEN BY THE USG AT DIFFERENT LEVELS
TO INSIST ON SAFE PASSAGE OF VULNERABLE PEOPLE TO SECURE
AREAS. GROSSRIEDER AGREED THAT SAFE AREAS WERE
CONFIDENTIAL
PAGE 01
ACTION AF-01
GENEVA
INFO
AID-01
OIG0-01
OCS-06
PMB-00
LOG-00
EUR-01
NSAE-00
TRSE-00
04819
02 OF 02
AMAD-01
HA-09
01C-02
/050W
261704Z
CA-02
TEDE-00
PM-00
CIAE-00
INR-00
RP-10
OASY-00
10-16
SR-00
4B4AAB 261704Z /38
O 261703Z MAY 94
FM USMISSION GENEVA
TO SECSTATE WASHDC IMMEDIATE 9692
INFO USMISSION USUN NEW YORK PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KINSHASA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY KAMPALA PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY NAIROBI PRIORITY
AMEMBASSY ROME
AMEMBASSY ADDIS ABABA
AMEMBASSY PARIS
AMEMBASSY BRUSSELS
USEU BRUSSELS
CONFIDENTIALSECTION 02 OF 02 GENEVA 04819
STATE FOR AF, RP, IO, HA
ALSO PASS AID FOR BHR, BHR/OFDA, BHR/FFP
ROME FOR FODAG
E.O. 12356: DECL:OADR
CONFIDENTIAL
UNCLASSIFIED
DODE-00
ADS-00
SS-00
UNCLASSIFIED
PAGE 02
GENEVA 04819 02 OF 02 261704Z
TAGS: PREF, EAID, PHUM, PINR, AORC, MOPS, RW
SUBJECT: AMBASSADOR RAWSON'S MEETING AT ICRC
ABSOLUTELY NEEDED AS A FIRST STEP.
1.4(B), 1.4(D)
8. IN A CONVERSATION THE NEXT DAY WITH MISSIONOFF,
AUGSTBURGER REPORTED THAT THE ICRC COMPOUND IN KIGALI
WAS HIT AGAIN ON 5/26 AND ONE RWANDAN WAS WOUNDED. ICRC
EXPAT DELEGATES REMAIN IN KIGALI, EXCEPT FOR THE HEAD OF
DELEGATION WHO HAS TRAVELED TO MULINDI TO MEET WITH
KAGAME. TAUXE WILL ARRIVE THERE ON FRIDAY FOR A
"POLITICAL" MEETING WITH THE RPF ON ITS RELATIONSHIP
WITH THE ICRC.
1 THERE IS A POLITICAL PRICE TO
PAY FOR ICRC'S PRESENCE, WHEREAS NON-GOVERNMENTAL
ORGANIZATIONS WITHOUT ICRC'S PROTECTION MANDATE DO NOT
MAKE SUCH DEMANDS.
9. AUGSTBURGER THEN REPORTED THAT ANOTHER 500 RWANDANS
HAD BEEN MASSACRED OVER WEDNESDAY NIGHT, 5/25, AT THE
KAPGAYE COMPOUND NEAR GITARAMA. THEY WERE KILLED BASED
ON LISTS, WHICH SOME NOW CALL THE "BAGASORA SYNDROME."
WE ASKED AUGSTBURGER HOW ICRC COULD REMAIN ON THE
COMPOUND WHILE SUCH KILLINGS GO ON, AND HE RESPONDED
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GENEVA 04819 02 OF 02 261704Z
THAT TO DEPART WOULD PROVIDE A "BLANK CHECK" TO THOSE
WHO WANT TO KILL THE REMAINING 40,000 RWANDANS SHELTERED
THERE.
10. AUGSTBURGER ALSO TOLD US THAT THE ONLY ENCLAVE THEY
HAVE DISCOVERED TO ADD TO THE LIST REPORTED IN REFTEL IS
"BUTARE CAMP" WITH THOUSANDS OF RWANDANS (MOSTLY TUTSIS).
11. NOTE. VIRTUALLY THE ONLY POSSIBLE SOURCE FOR THIS
INFORMATION ON THE LATEST MASSACRE IS THE ICRC, AND ITS
DELEGATES COULD BE IN SERIOUS DANGER IF SUCH INFORMATION
WERE TO BE RELEASED. PLEASE RETAIN THE CONFIDENTIALITY
OF INFORMATION HEREIN AND STRICTLY PROTECT THE SOURCE.
WE LEAVE IT TO THE ICRC TO DETERMINE WHEN/IF TO MAKE THE
UNCLASSIFIED
1.4(B), 1.4(D)
UNCLASSIFIED
INFORMATION PUBLIC. END NOTE.
12. AMBASSADOR RAWSON DID NOT HAVE THE OPPORTUNITY TO
CLEAR THIS CABLE PRIOR TO DEPARTING POST.
13.
MINIMIZE CONSIDERED. SPIEGEL
CONFIDENTIAL
<< END OF DOCUMENT >>
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