{UAH} A CLOSER LOOK AT THE BIRTH PLACE OF ALLAN BARIGYE BYUMBA Part one

U.S. Department of State Office of the Spokesman Press Statement

Press Statement by James P. Rubin/Spokesman
Released by the Office of the Spokesman, London, United Kingdom
December 18, 1997

Massacre at Mudende Refugee Camp, Rwanda

On December 12, immediately after news reached Secretary Albright that a massacre of Congolese Tutsi had occurred at Mudende refugee camp in northwest Rwanda, she dispatched David Scheffer, Ambassador at Large for War Crimes Issues, to Rwanda to investigate the atrocity. As Secretary Albright said before the Organization of African Unity in Addis Ababa on December 9th, we need to be prepared to acknowledge these types of international crimes and to confront their perpetrators.

Ambassador Scheffer reported to Secretary Albright on Tuesday, December 16th, in Brussels with his findings and recommendations regarding his first-hand investigation of the Mudende camp massacre. We will be reviewing his full report in the days ahead and examining future steps to assist the Rwandan government and people in preventing such atrocities and bringing those responsible to justice.

Based on Ambassador Scheffer's report, I would like to make the following points:

• The Mudende camp massacre, the second in four months at that refugee camp, represents a resurgence of genocide in the northwest region of Rwanda. The brutality of this attack on the Tutsi refugees is reminiscent of the genocide of 1994. The insurgents probably were from a base in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DROC) and likely were led by ex-FAR and Interahamwe elements. They appear determined to kill untold numbers of ethnic Tutsis.
• These criminal acts have rightly outraged the international community. Initiatives must be taken to bring to justice individuals accountable for these crimes and to prevent future acts of genocide. The United States is prepared to assist in this challenge.
• The number of murdered Congolese Tutsi refugees and perhaps some insurgents at Mudende camp appears to be 327, including those who have died of wounds. We have not been able to substantiate reports of larger numbers of killed refugees. We have no accounting for insurgent casualties. Nor has it been possible to ascertain the fate of the 460 or so Hutu prisoners who, during the insurgent attack, apparently broke out of the cachot (local prison) located about 1.5 kilometers from the refugee camp. Some witnesses have said that about 150 Tutsi refugees, mostly women, were abducted by the insurgents. We do not know their fate, but note that in the past the ex-FAR and Interahamwe militia have abducted women, raped them, and then killed them.
• At Mudende Camp there was a marked failure by the RPA to adequately defend the refugees from attack during the night of December 10th. The reasons for this failure by the RPA remain uncertain but point to the local commander's actions. Such a lapse in security arrangements for refugees must not be repeated. We are encouraging the Government of Rwanda to ensure sufficient security for the 17,000 refugees at the Nkimira transit camp.
• The 267 severely wounded women, children, and elderly at Gisenyi Hospital are in critical need of medical attention, including medical supplies and professional treatment. The heroic efforts of the staff at Gisenyi Hospital should be supplemented by other surgeons and by nurses trained in post-operative care. The U.S. Government has undertaken to assist Gisenyi Hospital in treatment of the Mudende victims and calls upon other governments and non-governmental organizations to provide rapid medical assistance to Gisenyi Hospital and in response to any future atrocities.

In addition, Ambassador Scheffer visited the volcanic caves of Kanama north of Gisenyi where there has been recent fighting between the Rwandan Patriotic Army and insurgents. The situation there may not be as dire as has been reported by non-governmental sources. The RPA claims that it pursued 60-120 insurgents into the caves on October 26 and 27 but did not observe any large number of local civilians fleeing into the caves during or after the hot pursuit. While it is clear that there are some dead bodies in the caves, there is no visible evidence that there were mass killings of hundreds or thousands of Rwandan citizens by the RPA. There is one major cave opening which has not been blocked up by the RPA and through which anyone in the caves can emerge to surrender. The last gunfire from the remaining cave openings occurred about three weeks ago. The RPA speculates there may be other cave openings nearer to the border with the DROC, from which insurgents or civilians may have escaped, but has not found them. We will continue to monitor the situation at the Kanama caves and work towards confirming the numbers of dead there as soon as is feasible.

EM         -> {   Gap   at   46  } – {Allan Barigye is a Rwandan predator}

On the 49^th Parallel          

                 Thé Mulindwas Communication Group
"With Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja and Dr. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda is in anarchy"
                    Kuungana Mulindwa Mawasiliano Kikundi
"Pamoja na Yoweri Museveni, Ssabassajja na Dk. Kiiza Besigye, Uganda ni katika machafuko"