Titre
Press Release, Office of the Press Secretary, The White House, “Statement by the Press Secretary”
Citation
UNCLASSIFIED
RELEASED IN FULL
THE WHITE ROUSE
Office of the Press secretary
For Immediate Release April 22, 1998
Statement by the Press Secretary
The President's National Security Advisor, Anthony Lake, met
today with Rwandan human rights monitor Monique Mujawamarija at
the White House. Mr. Lake expressed his deep satisfaction that
Ms. Mujawamarija had escaped harm and expressed deep concern over
violence chat continues to rage in Rwanda following the
tragic deaths of Rwandan President Habyarimana and Burundian
President Ntaryamira two weeks ago. He said that the horrors of
civil war and mass killings of civilians since then have shocked
and appalled the world community. All responsible officials and
military officers must bring offending troops and units under
control immediately.
We call on the Rwandan army and the Rwandan Patriotic Front to
agree on an immediate ceasefire and return to negotiations called
for and facilitated by the Government of Tanzania. We applaud
the efforts of regional leaders’ who are actively engaged in the
search for peace and call on the people of the region to support
their quest. The United States is prepared to participate, as in
the past, in renewed negotiation in the context of the Arusha
Agreement of August 4, 1993. The principles of a negotiated
agreement and power-sharing in that agreement remain valid bases
for a return to peace in Rwanda.
We call on the leadership of the Rwandan armed forces, including
Army Commander-in-Chief Col. Augustin Bizimungu, Col. Nkundiye,
Capt. Pascal Simbikangwa and Col. Bagosora, to do everything in
their power to end the violence immediately.
In line with the U.N. Security Council resolution yesterday, we
believe that the U.N. Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) has
an important continued role to perform in Rwanda in attempting to
secure a ceasefire between the parties, assisting humanitarian
relief operations and protecting Rwandans under their care. We
share the belief that the reduction of UNAMIR personnal, in
recognition of the need to ensure their safety and security, must
not put at risk the lives of Rwandan under UN protection
UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF STATE,
REVIEW AUTHORITY: CHARLES L DARIS
DATE/CASE ID: 08 OCT 2003 200203643
