Date: Wed, 26 Jul 95 06:23:09 EDT
From: incident@vita.org (Disaster Information Administrator)
To: event@vita.org
Subject: Rwanda: Humanitarian DHA-13
HUMANITARIAN SITUATION IN RWANDA
25 July 1995 No. 13
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The information contained in this report was provided by the
United Nations Rwanda Emergency Office in Kigali (UNREO)
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OVERVIEW
The humanitarian situation has continued to improve and security is
reported to be generally satisfactory throughout most parts of
Rwanda. However, a number of worrying trends underscore both the
fragility of conditions and the complexity of problems still to be
faced. Two of the most disturbing developments relate to increased
infiltration and targeted murders by the former government in
Rwanda and increased acts of violence by organised gangs of
hardliners against people suspects of genocide.
UNHCR has recently restarted repatriation from Goma, Zaire and has
signed a Tripartite Agreement with Tanzania and Rwanda for the
organised voluntary return of refugees from Tanzania. There are
also some indications that repatriation on a larger scale may also
be possible from Burundi. The reintegration of former displaced
persons in some areas, however, remains problematic and without
solutions to the continued high rate of arrests, the appalling
conditions in prisons and slow progress on the justice front,
successful repatriation and reconciliation will not be possible.
SECURITY
Reports of infiltration, targeted violence, including sabotage and
murders by agents of the former government have increased,
particularly in areas bordering Zaire and Burundi. Two government
officials have recently been murdered in Bugarama in the southwest
of the country. Both were Hutu moderates and known supporters of
the Rwandan Government and its policies of reconciliation. Acts of
banditry, allegedly involving people from refugee camps or
Interhamwe, meanwhile, are now reported almost on a daily basis.
There have also been a number of incidents in the Gisenyi and
Kibuye areas in northwest Rwanda where key installations, such as
water and power plants have been sabotaged. The deaths and other
violent acts are believed to be part of a terror campaign designed
to terrorise the Rwandese people and destabilise the country.
To counter the infiltration, watch groups of civilians, working
closely with the RPA, have been formed in villages and towns along
border areas. In some areas, MILOBS report that this has resulted
in marked decrease in the number of security incidents.
Reports continue to be received, particularly from the Butare area,
of human rights abuses perpetrated by organised groups of
hardliners. These abuses include violent attacks, beatings, murder
and disappearances of mostly former camp populations. Some of
these groups are said to have affiliations with local authorities.
NGOs have also reported a growing number of people arriving at
hospitals and other medical centres with machete wounds.
DISPLACED PERSONS
Efforts are still under way to review the situation in the communes
and to trace former camp populations following the forced closure
of IDP camps in April. Based on registration figures, it is clear
that a larger number of people from the camps have not returned to
their communes, but continue to be in hiding either in
conflict-affected areas of Burundi or within Rwanda.
Reports from local authorities in some areas, such as Gikongoro,
indicate that former displaced people have also turned up in areas
from where they did not originate. As reported in the last
situation update, monitoring by MILOBS and Human Rights field
officers in the communes have revealed a very mixed situation. In
some areas, people have reintegrated well, and often with
assistance from the communes, are engaged in agricultural
activities. In other areas, reintegration is being hampered by
housing and land shortages. Disputes over land and homes have
become acute in the Butare area and have also led to violence or
false accusations of genocide. As reported under security there
have also been increased reports of machete attacks, murders and
disappearances of some of those who returned from the camps.
REFUGEES
Prospects for repatriation of Rwandese from neighbouring countries
have appeared more encouraging, with the recent spontaneous and
organised arrival of refugees from Burundi, Zaire and Tanzania.
Although the majority of returnees to Rwanda continues to be the
old case load, many of whom have been in exile since the late
1950's, a total of 6,661 refugees who fled in the events of last
year were brought back to Rwanda by UNHCR during July. There have
also been continued reports of other groups arriving spontaneously
from all three countries, including from Goma, Zaire.
As a result of these encouraging signs, on 5 July, UNHCR resumed
its voluntary repatriation programme for Rwandese refugee camps in
Goma. A tripartite agreement has also been recently signed by
Rwanda, Tanzania and UNHCR for the repatriation from Tanzania and
confidence-building measures have been stepped up in Burundi. As
part of these measures, refugees in camps in Burundi have been
assisted to return to Rwanda to see conditions in their home
communes and there have been visits by senior Rwandese and Burundi
Government officials to the camps. The camps in Goma hold about
721,000 of more than one million Rwandese who fled to Zaire a year
ago. Tanzania hosts another 600,000 Rwandese refugees and Burundi
195,000.
PRISONS
The situation regarding overcrowding in prisons has now reached
nightmare proportions. Following a decrease in the number of
arrests in late May, the number of people being detained on charges
of genocide is once more in the region of 1,000 to 1,500 a week.
More than 49,000 are currently incarcerated in some 210 prisons,
detention centres and cachots. Over 10,000 are in Kigali prison
which was built to hold a maximum of 2,000 people. Although there
are no exact figures for the whole country, it is estimated that
the death rate each month, largely due to overcrowding, is more
than 300. In some prisons, there are as many as four people per
square meter.
A new detention centre for 5,000 prisoners is presently under
construction and should be completed by late August. UNDP is
funding the security installations and ICRC is providing tents and
most of the internal facilities. A special Presidential
Commission, comprising government officials and ICRC, have
identified other temporary facilities which can eventually house
some 26,000 detainees. The US$ 1 million project, funded through
the Secretary-General's Trust Fund, to rehabilitate existing
prisons is presently underway but work is hampered by sheer
overcrowding.
The restoration of the judicial system, meanwhile, remains slow and
no courts are yet functioning for crimes related to genocide. The
Commissions of Triage, established to review cases and speed up the
release of people when there is insufficient evidence to hold them,
is far from fully operational and the number of releases has
remained low.
In July, however, over 150 child prisoners aged 7 to 14 years were
moved from prisons to a newly rehabilitated children's detention
centre. Some of these children had been sexually abused. At the
centre they will be provided with education and skills training.
MUTARA
During the last few months the humanitarian community has closely
monitored the developing situation in the Mutara region of
northeast Rwanda, where cattle overpopulation and a lack of water
have raised fears of a potential disaster during the dry season.
Unseasonably late and heavy rains in the region have helped to
mitigate the problems expected due to lack of water, and have
contributed to an unusually good harvest season. As a result, few
problems are now expected with food supply in the region, although
WFP, FAO, and NGOs continue to closely monitor the situation.
A recently completed census puts the present cattle population of
the Mutara region at about 25,000. This is significantly less
than previous estimates, yet still five times greater than the
projected carrying capacity of the region. The comparatively low
number counted can be attributed in part to recent movements of
herders and their cattle south into other areas of Rwanda. Large
herds have been reported in Bugasera, Kibungo, and as far south
as Butare. Livestock experts suggest that the cattle remaining
in the region will suffer increased health problems and some
malnutrition, but will survive the dry season. However, the
present overgrazing is causing increasing environmental
degradation, rapidly reducing the carrying capacity of the land.
It hence is urgent that durable solutions to the cattle
overpopulation in this region are found.
EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS
In view of the instability across the Great Lakes and the
possibilities of new sudden emergencies, UNREO is continuing to
work with the UN Resident Coordinator in Rwanda to establish a
Disaster Management Team for contingency planning. The DMT will
forge links with appropriate Rwandan Government ministries and
NGOs both for contingency planning and to carry out joint
assessments. Some NGOs, on their own initiative, have already
formed an informal group to identify available resources and
develop contingency plans on a regional basis.
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UN RWANDA EMERGENCY OFFICE (UNREO) - KIGALI
MR. RANDOLPH KENT/MS PATRICIA BANKS
TEL.: (250) 72 951-(871) 137.0660
FAX: (250) 72 951-(871) 137.0661
COMPLEX EMERGENCY DIVISION (CED) - NEW YORK
MR. KAZUHIDE KURODA
TEL.: (1 212) 963.5713
FAX: (41 22) 963.1388
COMPLEX EMERGENCY SUPPORT UNIT (CESU) - GENEVA
MS. DEBORAH SAIDY/MS. MARIA KEATING
TEL.: (41 22) 788.6384-788.6385
FAX: (41 22) 788. 6386-788.6389
PRESS TO CONTACT - GENEVA
MS. MADELEINE MOULIN-ACEVEDO
TEL.: (41 22) 917.2856
FAX: (41 22) 917.0023
TELEX: 414242 DHA CH
INTERNET E-MAIL: dhagva at un.org
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