Abstract
"The war is over in Rwanda". That's what General Kagame, leader of the RPF, declared yesterday [July 18]. The RPF now supposedly controls the entire country. But which country?
- The war is over in Rwanda. An RPF spokesperson at the UN confirmed this yesterday [July 18]. Earlier in the day in Kigali, the strongman of the Patriotic Front announced it. General Paul Kagame noted that a de facto ceasefire is in place.
- The RPF does indeed control the entire country except for the French-controlled zone. The new rulers of Rwanda can therefore now focus on peace. But peace comes far too late in a country already completely devastated.
- And while the war is over for the RPF, the consequences of the Rwandan conflict are far from over.
- Still on edge, thousands of Hutus continue to flee towards Zaire. The exodus to this neighboring country is turning into a nightmare. On Sunday [July 17], shelling fell on the Goma camp, killing more than a hundred people.
- Goma, where catastrophe is already on the brink: a million refugees are waiting for aid, and humanitarian organizations are currently unable to cope with the situation.