Citation
ROME, April 9 (Reuter) - Italy said on Saturday it had made three C-130
transport planes available to evacuate its nationals from Rwanda, the
central African nation where tribal slaughter has left thousands dead.
The three transporters and a total of 80 troops were standing by at the
Tuscan base of Pisa, ready to be redeployed to the Kenyan city of
Nairobi as soon as requested.
A foreign ministry spokesman said around 190 Italians were believed to
be in Rwanda and all were thought to be safe.
The idea is to make evacuation possible for all our citizens,
the
spokesman said.
Defence Minister Fabio Fabbri was in constant contact with Belgian and
French officials who have set up a coordination centre in Nairobi with
their American counterparts, his ministry said in a statment.
It has been agreed that our planes will be for the use of all citizens
who have to be evacuated from the guerrilla zone,
the statement said.
France said its troops in Rwanda would begin evacuating nationals from
the capital of Kigaldi on Saturday evening.
(c) Reuters Limited 1994
