YouSaid · the spoken record

Bakuramutsa

lines on the record: 295
first: 1994-09-23
most recent: 2018-05-17
sittings or episodes: 41
sources: un-security-council

Every line below is reproduced as it was said and linked to the record it came from. Nothing here is summarised or generated. Directory · Search · Corrections

“Economically, significant progress has been made in just one year since the January 1995 donors' round-table conference for the reconstruction of Rwanda. The gross domestic product increased by 20 per cent in 1995 , after a recession of 40 per cent in 1994, reaching three-fourths of the level of the gross domestic product before the crisis. These achievements have been accomplished with the support of some countries which did not hesitate to help Rwanda's reconstruction efforts. Among them, I would like to make special mention of Ireland, whose President has honoured Rwanda with two official visits - and the Netherlands and Germany, which have given appreciable assistance to Rwanda. The contributions of the United Kingdom and the United States have also been greatly appreciated.”
1996-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3640 (1996) · source
“On the issues of justice and human rights, the rehabilitation of the judicial system continues to be one of the main priorities of the Government of Rwanda. Some action has been taken in adopting appropriate legislation. At the end of 1995, 643 judicial personnel were trained. Regarding the future, the Government and people of Rwanda look forward to the effective implementation of the International Tribunal for Rwanda as a major step in healing the wounds of genocide. Only true justice would allow Rwanda to heal and rebuild a new society. Concerning internal security, the Government of Rwanda has already started to reorganize and strengthen the gendarmerie and the police, and it intends to proceed with the demobilization of part of the army.”
1996-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3640 (1996) · source
“The Government has translated its commitment to the return of refugees into action through the following measures: advocating national reconciliation; the restoration of security within our borders; discouraging revenge through enforcement of law and order; promoting a culture of transparency by allowing UNAMIR, non-governmental organizations, human rights monitors and the media freedom of movement throughout the country; enforcement of laws; governing property rights; and resettlement and reintegration of returnees into the civil service, the national army and other areas of economic life. These measures have already led to the return of the phenomenal number of 2.3 million refugees in only one year, including the former refugees who had been outside the country since 1959.”
1996-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3640 (1996) · source
“The achievements since the genocide have been major ones. The Rwandese people have succeeded in laying the foundation of a new society by setting up a coalition Government and a Parliament which are representative of all political groups. This is a major sign of the beginning of a process of national reconciliation. For the first time the Government of Rwanda has established a policy of repatriation of refugees. Before 1994 more than a million Rwandese refugees lived outside the country. Those refugees were denied their right to return to their homeland by the former regime, which, moreover, organized, planned and masterminded the genocide. The present Government is committed to the unconditional return of all Rwandese nationals to their motherland.”
1996-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3640 (1996) · source
“My delegation would like to thank the Secretary-General for his report of 29 February 1996 on the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda. The report shows a positive evolution of the political and economic situation in Rwanda. At the close of the United Nations peace-keeping mission in Rwanda, UNAMIR leaves behind a country and citizens determined to rebuild a new Rwanda and assume fully their responsibility for a better future. In spite of the catastrophe that affected the country and resulted in the loss of one-eighth of its population and the total destruction of the economic infrastructure, the judicial system and Rwandese society, I must admit, with great pride, that Rwanda has risen from its ashes with all the indications of becoming an even stronger nation and a credible partner.”
1996-03-08 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3640 (1996) · source
“I wish to conclude by calling once more for greater participation by the Great Lakes countries in decisions affecting their fate, and for far greater involvement by national institutions and subregional and regional organizations in finding solutions for this part of Africa.”
1996-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3639 (1996) · source
“Economic support for the countries of the subregion would contribute to easing tensions. We want to draw the attention of the international community to organizations that take advantage of the poverty of the subregion to create programmes and projects that only benefit their organizers without much impact on the recipients. Other projects, so-called development projects, are political and divisive in nature; these include "environmental" projects now being planned. They should be redesigned to become holistic, not only in their conception, but also in the sense that they should cover areas affected by the presence of refugees. They must avoid promoting the "industry of poverty" in the subregion.”
1996-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3639 (1996) · source
“We hail two great sons of Africa, President Julius Nyerere and Archbishop Desmond Tutu, for their initiative to bring peace to the subregion. This is the kind of initiative to support. Similarly, the Carter Center and President Carter himself deserve commendation. To help the people of Burundi take their own problems in hand, the culture of impunity in the subregion must be eradicated, which is all the more possible given that the nature of this crime affects all of mankind. Once again, the international community has a role to play and responsibilities to shoulder. It knows perfectly well where the criminals are. It has the means to destroy or jam hate- mongering radio transmitters. It must shoulder its responsibilities before the region flares up and new genocide is committed.”
1996-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3639 (1996) · source
“Hopeless poverty is not conducive to peace in the subregion. We must change our methods and our approach to solving African problems in general and the problems of the Great Lakes countries in particular. First of all, the Great Lakes countries themselves must participate actively in the search for solutions to their problems. Countries like Burundi have created institutions that will enable them to resolve their own problems, such as the Convention of Government and the various commissions that have been set up to resolve specific problems. The international community has a duty to let these institutions work in an atmosphere of calm by preventing infiltration by criminals and by silencing hate-mongering radio. If there is to be outside military intervention, that should be its sole purpose.”
1996-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3639 (1996) · source
“These are what the people of Burundi have told the international community they need. Yet if these two problems were solved, the people of Burundi could enjoy a respite that would enable them to come together in constructive dialogue. Such a respite is vital for the peoples of the Great Lakes region; it cannot be achieved through United Nations-style big conferences, lifting with ideas and behind-the-scenes observers - and gauged more by their cost than by their impact. Such conferences will not get the people in the hills of Burundi to lay down their weapons and come to an understanding; they will not stop the criminal perpetrators of genocide. The fourth element I think is important for the region is the economic situation, which was fragile at the outset and which is quickly deteriorating because of the political situation.”
1996-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3639 (1996) · source
“The subregion' s third problem is a lack of consultation with the countries concerned. Many solutions and decisions are devised, and the international community then confronts the countries concerned with a fait accompli. A country's problems as explained by its citizens are not being properly addressed. Rather, initiatives are taken and are imposed on the country. One example is the idea of military intervention in Burundi. On whose behalf would such an intervention be carried out, and against whom? How are these foreign forces to tell good Burundians from bad Burundians? They will not be wearing badges. In the meantime, no one talks about dismantling the radio transmitters that spread hatred. No one talks about putting a stop to infiltration by criminals.”
1996-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3639 (1996) · source
“The culture of impunity to which I have referred has enabled the criminal perpetrators of genocide in Rwanda to forge links with extremists in Burundi by helping them in the extermination techniques for which they are notorious. We hope that one day this South-South cooperation will take a more positive turn. Meanwhile, no one gives a thought to stopping these criminals. To the contrary, Burundian army forces have been harshly criticized and domestic movements attempting to organize in order to avert the kind of extermination that has taken place in Rwanda have been labeled extremist. We are duty-bound to hail the various Burundian institutions whose composure has enabled them to safeguard the country's sovereignty and the stability of its population in the face of varied provocations.”
1996-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3639 (1996) · source
“Consequently, the problem of Burundi cannot be solved unless the subregion's culture of impunity is eradicated. The second problem is laissez-faire: the typical hands-off attitude which fosters the deterioration of the situation in the subregion. Rwanda has lost one eighth of its population as a result of hate propaganda spread through radio broadcasts. Everyone recognizes the powerful impact of radio broadcasts promoting hatred in Rwanda. The same kind of radio floods the Burundian countryside with messages of hatred and calls for extermination. No adequate action has been taken to prevent these perpetrators of crimes against humanity from sowing hatred among the people. There is similar laissez-faire with respect to arming and training criminals and infiltrating them into Burundi.”
1996-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3639 (1996) · source
“The first point is the institutionalization of impunity within the subregion. This point reached its culmination during and after the genocide in Rwanda. Not only were the criminals not prevented from committing their misdeeds, but neither were they pursued in the subregion. On the contrary, in some cases they have even benefited from special protection. The result of this culture of impunity has been to encourage criminals of all stripes, from Rwanda as well as from Burundi. They have organized, trained and armed themselves, and they have stirred the beginnings of a genocide in Burundi. Through its inaction or the inadequacy of its response, the international community has encouraged the impunity that has been institutionalized in the subregion.”
1996-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3639 (1996) · source
“This initiative, which we could regard as a sort of African palaver around a tree, is necessary for us, the Africans within this Organization, who constitute a majority but who, unfortunately, represent the least privileged continent, some of whose countries are a fixture on the Security Council's agenda. This open debate allows us to express ourselves and to hope that one day we will be adequately heard and understood. My delegation would like to approach the Burundi question mainly within the subregional context of the Great Lakes countries. The ills suffered by Burundi are a contagious gangrene that affects the entire subregion. That is why, while respecting the specific and particular nature of each country of the subregion, there are points that merit common consideration and that affect Burundi.”
1996-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3639 (1996) · source
“Mr. Bakuramutsa (Rwanda) (interpretation from French): Allow me, on behalf of the delegation of Rwanda, to congratulate you, Sir, on your assumption of the presidency of the Security Council for this month. We are convinced that your wisdom and wide experience will enable the Security Council to assume fully its responsibilities to the satisfaction of the Member States of the Organization. I would like to avail myself of this opportunity to congratulate Ambassador Albright and her delegation for the important work done under her presidency during the month of February. The delegation of Rwanda welcomes the initiative to hold an open debate on Burundi.”
1996-03-05 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3639 (1996) · source
“My delegation would like to conclude by expressing a wish - a request to the Council and the States Members of this Organization - that the impressive means which have just been made available to the former Yugoslavia to ensure respect for peace, and that the energy and speed used to arrive at this draft resolution and to implement it may provide a good example to be followed in the future and applied in the same way and without discrimination to any Member State of this Organization that finds itself in need. Rwanda will vote in favour of this draft resolution.”
1995-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3607 (1995) · source
“My delegation notes with satisfaction that the draft resolution has a clause on the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia. We firmly hope that the persons who have committed crimes against humanity will be prosecuted, that the prevailing impunity in this region and in the Great Lakes region will be lifted and that this will serve as an example for the world.”
1995-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3607 (1995) · source
“Mr. Bakuramutsa (Rwanda)(interpretation from French): The delegation of Rwanda would like to thank and commend the countries that have helped to promote peace in the former Yugoslavia and have made it possible to put an end to four years of war. We also welcome the negotiated political settlement of the conflicts in the former Yugoslavia, particularly as regards the preservation of the territorial integrity of all States within their internationally recognized borders. My delegation also welcomes the fact that these agreements put an end to a war which has caused suffering to innocent people, particularly women and children and others who did not take part in the fighting, and has caused the death of hundreds of thousands of people, many of whom died an atrocious death - for nothing.”
1995-12-15 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3607 (1995) · source
“Thirdly, I should like to say that as for calling it a humanitarian operation, that was not at all the case, especially if one considers the materiel utilized by the force upon its arrival. That materiel was far more military than it was humanitarian. Fourthly, I should like to point out that, whether purposely or not - and again, I do not want to enter into polemics - the zone created, known as Zone Turquoise, was one in which all the criminals who had been unable to cross the frontier came to take refuge. Their last chance was the camp at Kibeho, where all their arms were stockpiled - and everyone knows what happened when they tried to get them out.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“Mr. Bakuramutsa (Rwanda) (interpretation from French): My delegation does not wish to engage in polemics, since we have great respect for the French delegationHowever, since we are called upon to furnish some explanation here, I should like to state the position of the Government of Rwanda in this respect. First, with regard to Operation Turquoise, it is our View that it came too late. It may very well have been done with good will, but it was too late: a million Rwandans had already been exterminated. In any event, we do thank its participants for having come. Secondly, as for its being a multinational force, I should like to make a correction. The multinational part of the force was symbolic. The force was made up of people from one country only and its other members were symbols to lend it an international flavour.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“Additional measures have already been agreed on between the Government of Rwanda and the International Tribunal to ensure the protection of the Tribunal personnel. Any other needs in the area of security will be considered by the Rwandese Government, as appropriate.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“The entire world knows that Rwanda is in need and that such donations would be a gesture of good will on the part of Member States and the Secretariat to a people who have experienced an unprecedented tragedy and its aftermath during the past 20 months. Rwanda's request is based on precedents in the case of Cambodia and other United Nations peace- keeping missions. Regarding the present status of UNAMIR, the Government of Rwanda is willing to extend the presence of UNAMIR for three months on condition that its mandate be adjusted accordingly. During that period and later, the Government of Rwanda will continue to ensure the security of all persons in Rwanda, including UN AMIR personnel, personnel of international organizations, members of the international community and personnel of the International Tribunal for Rwanda.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“Nevertheless, the Government of Rwanda has appreciated the assistance provided by the Mission, particularly by the small force left in Rwanda during the dark days of genocide, and by its commander, his staff and others who lost their lives assisting Rwandese. UNAMIR has played an important role in facilitating transportation and providing logistical support in areas of need in Rwanda. In that respect, UNAMIR's departure will leave a gap in those areas. The loss of transportation and office, communication and medical equipment, to name a few things, as a result of pillage by the former Rwandese Government and the former armed forces has left Rwanda in great need. For that reason, the Government of Rwanda has requested the donation of some of UNAMIR's non-lethal equipment to the Government and the people of Rwanda on UNAMIR's departure.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“The recent appointment of Supreme Court judges by the Rwandese National Assembly has contributed to the revival of the national judicial system, which is essential to putting an end to the spirit of impunity which has prevailed in Rwanda for decades. Despite the tremendous efforts of the Rwandese Government, it is important to understand some of the problems facing Rwanda. They include bringing the perpetrators of genocide to justice, both nationally and internationally; putting an end to infiltration and sabotage by the former Rwandese armed forces along Rwanda's western border; the intimidation of refugees in the refugee camps; and the economic and social reconstruction of Rwanda. At the present time, UNAMIR cannot and is not expected to respond to any of these priorities.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“All of these policy decisions and actions constitute national reconciliation for the Rwandese. This contrasts with other interpretations of what national reconciliation should be, such as implicit proposals for the integration of the leaders/planners of genocide into the Government by various strategies, including regional conferences. As far as we Rwandese are concerned, national reconciliation is in progress. The new Government of Rwanda, with the cooperation of a large number of Member States, has been able to accomplish a great deal in the past few months, in spite of an acute lack of resources and limited and conditional support from some sectors of the international community. It has been able to establish a climate of security and stability within the country. Much progress has been made in economic and social rehabilitation.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“Following the Rwandese victory over genocide, a policy of national reconciliation, as established in the Arusha Agreement, has been fundamental in the reconstruction of a traumatized Rwandese society. In that context, a Government of National Unity comprising the main opposition parties was formed. A National Parliament representing all political parties was constituted. Over six million Rwandese, including new and old returning refugees, are living together peacefully inside the country. Intensive contacts are in progress with Governments and refugees in neighbouring countries to facilitate the return of more recent refugees. There has been a reintegration of former administrative personnel into the new public service and the new Rwandese army has reintegrated large numbers of soldiers and high-ranking officers of the former regime.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“The situation had drastically changed inside Rwanda. In fact, UNAMIR's mandate could have been best implemented outside Rwanda in refugee camps to prevent the intimidation of refugees in the camps outside Rwanda, facilitate the refugees' return to Rwanda and implement the Security Council's resolution on the arms embargo against the former Rwandese Government, which has been consistently violated. Simultaneously, the international community had an obligation to arrest and detain those responsible for planning and committing genocide and to ensure the speedy functioning of the International Tribunal for Rwanda. All of this had to be done outside Rwanda.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“In spite of its mandate to provide security and to protect displaced persons, refugees and civilians at risk, Operation Turquoise provided a safe haven for the perpetrators of genocide, who would later use it as a base to attack innocent civilians and the forces of the new Government of Rwanda. The camp at Kibeho was a typical example of this. It was the Rwandese themselves who, single-handedly, took on the mammoth task and stopped the massacres on 4 July. The second contradiction is based on the implementation process based on earlier decisions taken by the Security Council. Four months later, in September 1994, UNAMIR was redeployed at a strength of 5 ,500 - a redeployment that was far too late and too large. That is why its mandate, which was defined on 17 May by Security Council resolution 918 (1994), was not appropriate.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“As a result, by the end of June 1994 - after only three months - approximately one million Rwandese had been massacred in a genocide unprecedented in Africa, the third genocide of this century, watched by the entire world on international television. In the meantime, the Member States that had ratified the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide were hesitating to act. In a three-month period, one eighth of Rwanda's population was exterminated. Operation Turquoise, another solution proposed by the Security Council, only exacerbated an already complex situation.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“Despite that clear knowledge and UNAMIR's mandate to ensure security, at least in Kigali, UNAMIR personnel, as soldiers and human beings, appeared unable to assist innocent unarmed civilians, women and children among them, as well as hospitalized patients. In April, when genocide was launched on an unprecedented scale, the response of the Security Council was to withdraw UNAMIR. In response to that grave situation, this decision seemed peculiar. On 21 April, two weeks after the killings began, the members of this very Council decided, by resolution 912 (1994), to reduce UNAMIR's force level from 2,500 to 270, a number incapable of responding to the extensive trauma being experienced by Rwandese society at that time. The mandate and size of this symbolic force made it ineffective in the face of the mass slaughter organized by the State.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“The Mission was established on 5 October 1993 by Security Council resolution 872 (1993) with a mandate to, among other things, assist in ensuring the security of Kigali - I repeat, the security of Kigali; monitor the security situation during the final period of the transitional Government's mandate, leading up to the elections agreed on in the 1993 Arusha peace agreement; and investigate and report on incidents regarding the Rwandese gendarmerie and police. In the early part of 1994, high-ranking personnel of UNAMIR, United Nations agencies and the diplomatic corps in Kigali were aware that members of the former Government were planning mass killings of Rwandese. That information was also well known at United Nations Headquarters and some influential members of the international community.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“Furthermore, we would like to thank those who drafted today's resolution and the countries contributing troops to UNAMIR. I wish to assure them of the cooperation of the Government of Rwanda with UNAMIR during the period of this new mandate. (spoke in English) I have promised to speak in English. I would like to address the contradictions based on the positions taken by the Secretariat and the Security Council decision on the recent situation faced by Rwanda. The first contradiction is based on the fact that appropriate action was taken before and during the genocide in Rwanda. 1 would begin by reminding the Council of the history of UNAMIR.”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“Mr. Bakuramutsa (Rwanda) (interpretation from French): It is a pleasure for my delegation to see you, Sir, presiding over the Security Council for the month of December. We are confident that your wisdom and skill will help to expedite the Council's work. My delegation has always thought that you have a quiet strength that can move mountains. My delegation is at hand to assist you in your task. My delegation takes this opportunity to thank Ambassador Al-Khussaiby for the way he presided over the Council last month. Thanks to his great wisdom, skill and diplomacy, he was able to help the Council make remarkable progress in its work. My delegation also wishes to thank the Secretary-General for his report on the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR).”
1995-12-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3605 (1995) · source
“My delegation is confident that henceforth the member countries of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization, as well as the Russian Federation, will have sufficient leeway to consolidate the peace thus restored and that they will assume stewardship for stability in the region.”
1995-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3595 (1995) · source
“After having broken out of the deadlock in the negotiations regarding the division of territory, the maintenance of peace will no longer be a question of territorial claims, but rather a question of political will on the part of the parties concerned. The embargo imposed upon Bosnia-Herzegovina is in many respects similar to that which is now inflicted upon the current Government of Rwanda. We are very pleased that it has been lifted, and it is our hope that this will bring about a balance of forces which will make it possible for better understanding to prevail in the region.”
1995-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3595 (1995) · source
“The second lesson impresses upon the international community the need to do everything possible to combat crimes against humanity, and also the fact that this is a battle which must begin in the Security Council. We are delighted that these two resolutions will now make it possible for a balance to be struck among the various forces involved. After the end of the Second World War, appropriate machinery was created in order to handle conflicts, in order to avoid such events - events which were similar to the two nightmares which humanity experienced at the beginning and in the middle of this century. But the generalized historical amnesia which prevailed after the Second World War, nationalist interests, and the thirst for power leading to the creation of zones of political influence simply undermined all these hopes.”
1995-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3595 (1995) · source
“"Ethnic cleansing" was beginning to become such a widespread practice that everyone was becoming more and more reluctant to speak about it, even in resolutions of the Security Council. My delegation is particularly gratified that these agreements are putting an end to a war in which innocent people have suffered, particularly women, children and other people who were not directly involved in the hostilities. What happened in Bosnia, as well as what happened in my country, Rwanda, is a lesson from which the world and all of us should learn. It is a lesson in humility for mankind, because what happened in this country is evidence of the fact that this can happen anywhere in the world. This type of crime knows no boundaries; nor is it peculiar to any one society.”
1995-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3595 (1995) · source
“Mr. Bakuramutsa (Rwanda) (interpretation from French): My delegation would like, through you, Sir, to welcome His Excellency, Mr. Muhamed Sacirbey, Minister of Foreign Affairs of Bosnia and Herzegovina. My delegation would like to say how much we share his feelings at this historic moment which his country has just gone through. My delegation would also like to convey its congratulations to the United States of America on the occasion of the peace agreement among the various parties in Bosnia and Herzegovina. At the same time, my delegation would like to congratulate these various parties for having agreed to make concessions and, thereby, to put an end to four years of fratricidal warfare, rife with crimes against humanity.”
1995-11-22 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3595 (1995) · source
“What the international community needs is good will and fairness. Neglecting Africa, as is demonstrated by the current tendency to provide incomplete solutions for the continent' s problems, may have adverse consequences not only for African countries but also for neighbouring continents. In resolving African problems satisfactorily, the other continents that are Africa's partners will at the same time be resolving many of their own problems. My delegation would like to conclude by congratulating the President of ECOWAS, Mr. Jerry Rawlings, President of Ghana, and the Presidents of the States members of ECOWAS for having harmonized and coordinated their policies regarding Liberia and for having found an appropriate solution to that country's problems.”
1995-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3592 (1995) · source
“We cannot ensure peace and stability in Somalia, Rwanda and Liberia without ensuring economic development in those countries. This rule is not just for Africa; it is universal, which is why my delegation invites the Security Council to take a different approach and turn its attention to other issues that cannot be skirted if we are to ensure peace and stability in African countries. A "Marshall Plan" for Somalia, Rwanda and Liberia is not only possible and feasible, it is necessary and even indispensable in order to help these countries get back on their feet. We are not talking here of humanitarian assistance, but, rather, of economic cooperation. The national budgets of these countries are smaller than the budgets of most average-sized cities in the developed countries represented here.”
1995-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3592 (1995) · source
“Who in this Chamber can publicly explain the difference? This is why Rwanda wishes to reiterate yet again its appeal to the Security Council and the Secretariat to resolve African problems only through Africa's own institutions, for the effect would be greater and the costs less. In the light of the African continent's economic situation, regional and subregional organizations need only material and moral support in order to carry out better the tasks that States have assigned them. For more than two years the Council has been dealing with the subjects of Somalia, Rwanda and Liberia. These three countries have in common the features of poverty and instability, two evils that are intertwined and that cannot be resolved independently of each other. No one wants to say so, because no one wants to resolve these problems in integrated fashion.”
1995-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3592 (1995) · source
“Along the same lines, my delegation considers it imperative and urgent that the refugees, displaced persons and former combatants be returned to their home communities in the interior of the country so that the peace process, still so fragile and in need of consolidation, will not be stopped. The Security Council must express its gratitude to the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) and, through it, to the ECOWAS Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), which fulfilled a mission that the Council, falling into the trap of double standards, did not wish to undertake. Indeed, the funds necessary for ECOMOG's operations for one year are less than those used in one week by the peace-keeping forces in the former Yugoslavia. Why the United Nations Protection Force (UNPROFOR) and why not ECOMOG?”
1995-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3592 (1995) · source
“My delegation is pleased to note that the Abuja Agreement is being fully implemented and that the Council of State of Liberia has shouldered its responsibilities, particularly through its current efforts to extend the authority of the National Transitional Government throughout Liberia. My delegation supports the Secretary-General's recommendation on the implementation of a programme to demobilize combatants, in cooperation with the National Transitional Government. It is essential that the demobilized soldiers be given productive work immediately upon demobilization, because soldiers who cannot find the means to earn a living could take up activities that could undermine the restored peace.”
1995-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3592 (1995) · source
“It will be recalled that when the horrendous genocide began in Rwanda, the United Nations forces sent to Rwanda to maintain peace were the first to leave the country when that peace was disturbed - at the precise time when the defenceless population needed protection. The international community having been unable to shoulder its responsibilities, a group of Rwandese, determined to save their country, managed to bring a halt to the massacres and to re-establish the rule of law. This shows that Africa can solve its own problems thanks, on the one hand, to citizens mobilized and determined to do so and, on the other, to regional and subregional organizations which the Africans themselves have established.”
1995-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3592 (1995) · source
“My delegation welcomes the developments in the situation in Liberia, achieved as a result of the efforts of the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), which, through its Monitoring Group (ECOMOG), has succeeded in maintaining stability and safeguarding the State of Liberia, despite the paucity of means available to it. That is why my delegation is proud to congratulate the Heads of State of the Economic Community of West African States and ECOMOG on their efforts to solve the problems of a Member State, without awaiting external intervention. The reaction of Africans - that is, to take control - whenever the international community shirks its responsibilities is not new.”
1995-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3592 (1995) · source
“Mr. Bakuramutsa (Rwanda) (interpretation from French): Allow me first of all to express my delegation's satisfaction at seeing you, Sir, presiding over the Security Council this month. We have great confidence in your wisdom and experience, which will help us to achieve tangible results this month. During your presidency, we would ask you to use your influence to solve and eliminate as many as possible of the problems inscribed on our agenda, such as those of Liberia and Rwanda, and others. You will have the complete cooperation of my delegation. I should like to take this opportunity to thank Ambassador Gambari of Nigeria for the excellent work he did during his presidency. My delegation also takes this opportunity to thank the Secretary-General for his thirteenth report on the United Nations Observer Mission in Liberia.”
1995-11-10 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3592 (1995) · source
“In this restructuring of the Council, Africa must have some permanent seats, with all the relevant rights and duties. This is a right owed to that continent and not a privilege. The Security Council has a great need for internal democratization and for greater transparency both among its members and vis-a-vis other organs of the United Nations. I would like to conclude by recalling once again that justice and development are key elements if peace and security are to reign in this world. That is the raison d'etre of the United Nations, and it is the only wish that the delegation of the Rwandan Government expresses in this regard.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“So long as there is no equitable justice for everyone in the world, there will be no peace and security. So long as there is no social and economic development equitably conceived for all, peace and security will be vain words, empty of meaning. After 50 years of operation, the United Nations needs to pause, review its goals and revise its programmes. Since the end of the cold war, the need to reform and revitalize the United Nations has become an overriding imperative. It is important for the United Nations to be restructured to meet the aspirations of Member States, in particular the developing countries which benefit the least from it. With regard to the Security Council, there must equitable geographical representation in it through an increase in the number of permanent and non-permanent seats.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source
“I also wish to thank, on behalf of my Government, the countries that have taken concrete measures to help the Rwandan people - the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany, the Netherlands, Ireland, Spain, to mention only those countries. "Ethnic cleansing" in Bosnia and Herzegovina is now encroaching upon the heart of Europe. The more groups created to solve the problem, the more soldiers sent to halt the damage, the more "ethnic cleansing" flares up. Africa was a victim of world politics for five centuries. First it was emptied of its population and then it suffered under the yoke of foreign Powers. Before it could catch its breath, it was caught in the crossfire of the cold war between the East and the West. Since the cold war ended, the observable trend has been towards the marginalization of this continent.”
1995-09-26 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.3583 (1995) · source