YouSaid · the spoken record

Gasana

lines on the record: 923
first: 1993-10-05
most recent: 2016-06-10
sittings or episodes: 118
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

“What do we do about the recent mass atrocities committed against civilians in Bentiu and in Bor? Or, for that case, what do we do now when we hear a radio station which, 20 years after the infamous RTLM. broadcasts in Rwanda, has called upon one group of the community to rape women of another group in retribution? Do we again condemn and adopt statements expressing outrage? Recently Ambassador Joy ngu of Nigeria, during her last meeting as President of the Council (see S/PV.7166), expressed regret that sometimes we become bystanders and display a lack of unity in the Council, due to national interests. I hope that on this issue, the Council will do whatever it takes to stop the killing of innocent people in South Sudan.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“Almost five months have passed since the beginning of the conflict in South Sudan. Hundreds of innocent civilians have been killed due to their ethnicity and political affiliation; 1.5 million civilians have been displaced. All of that has been happening while the world is watching. During our most recent consultations on South Sudan, held on 23 April, we were shown very painful images of hundreds of dead bodies piled on the ground. For Rwandans like me, those images take us back to 20 years ago. After the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, the international community said, "Never again". Now we say, "lessons learned". That has - unfortunately, we believe - become just a cosmetic word. It is, again, a real shame. What do we do now about the continued killings of innocent civilians in South Sudan?”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“On 14 July 2011, the General Assembly adopted resolution 65/308, introduced by Rwanda on behalf of the African Group, admitting the Republic of South Sudan as the l93rd State Member of the United Nations. As we admitted that young nation, it was with hope, anticipation and pride that the international community stood ready to accompany South Sudan as it built its State institutions and forged a united South Sudan for all its citizens. However, three years later, considering the widespread killing of civilians and the human rights situation described by our briefers today and emphasized by Ambassador Samantha Power, we cannot remain bystanders. We cannot remain bystanders. You cannot fight for independence for years and then turn around and kill our own people. It is a shame.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“Mr. President, I thank you for convening this briefing on the human rights situation in South Sudan. I thank Ms. Navi Pillay, United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights, and Mr. Adama Dieng, Special Adviser to the Secretary-General on the Prevention of Genocide, for their respective briefings following their recent visit to South Sudan. I would also like to recognize the Ambassador of South Sudan, Ambassador Deng. We appreciate the Secretary-General's dispatch of several United Nations teams to South Sudan to monitor the situation on the ground and for his unequivocal messages to both the South Sudan leadership and the Sudan People's Liberation Movement/Army in Opposition.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7168 (2014) · source
“We all know that only a genuine dialogue by the Ukrainian parties, on the basis of the 17 April Geneva outcome, and a strong commitment on the part of of those who have influence on them, who need to ensure that the sovereignty and territorial integrity of Ukraine are preserved, can solve this crisis. Otherwise, the situation will further escalate, the conflict will become regional, or worse, and it would be useless to continue to convene emergency public briefings of the Security Council if the concerned parties and countries are not willing to be responsible and solve the conflict. In that regard, we need to scale down the rhetoric.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“We are of course deeply concerned by all those developments, which further deteriorate the already delicate situation in eastern Ukraine. We strongly condemn the violent methods used by armed separatists and we call for a proportionate response by the Ukrainian forces. However, we should put our full support behind the good offices of the Secretary-General in resolving the crisis in Ukraine. We are happy to hear that Mr. Jeffrey Feltman is going to Ukraine and Moscow. I call upon all Council members to trust him, to trust his envoys and to give them the means and the political backing necessary to conduct a meaningful mediation in Ukraine and the region. The strongest condemnation of Rwanda or of any other Council member on the deterioration of the crisis will not solve the Ukrainian conflict.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“I also thank Mr. Jeffrey Feltman, Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, for his briefing. The situation in Ukraine has further deteriorated in the past few hours. Ukrainian forces have launched operations against the separatist militants in the eastern part of the city of Sloviansk. The rebels have continued to seize public building in cities in eastern Ukraine, mainly in Sloviansk and Donetsk, where the Prosecutor's office is even occupied by the militants. They even shot down two Ukrainian helicopters on Friday, killing two crew members. In the meantime, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) military observers are still being illegally detained by separatist militants.”
2014-05-02 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7167 (2014) · source
“That will ensure that the involvement of the Council in security sector reform remains country-specific and is derived from a comprehensive United Nations SSR strategy for the establishment of peace and stability, while at the same time ensuring that the United Nations delivers as one.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“We also call upon the Council to ensure that issues of peace agreements, disarmament, demobilization and reintegration, and other SSR components are considered when it authorizes peacekeeping operations so to ensure that they contribute to the restoration of sustainable security. The Council should take SSR as one of the cornerstones of sustainable peace. The Peacebuilding Commission should encourage the coordination and coherence of SSR efforts in countries emerging from conflict and advise the Council, where appropriate of important steps to be taken when it is considering initiating SSR processes.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“Such coordination should be streamlined in a way that prioritizes building national capacities for the Member States to eventually take over. The United Nations must do more to help build up expertise outside the United Nations system, particularly those of regional and subregional organizations working to address the challenges around them. We appreciate the efforts and work of the United Nations inter-agency Security Sector Reform Task Force and the SSR Unit in the Department of Peacekeeping Operations in advancing those endeavours, and we call on the Secretary-General to strengthen both entities.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“Once initiated, it is vital that the SSR process be based on national ownership and be aligned to national security needs, as defined by the Government. We are aware that national ownership also entails national responsibility and commitment. This responsibility includes the effective use of donor support, as well as the planning and implementation of the process with long-term security outcomes. Furthermore, national ownership cannot be viable or realistic if the financial burden for reform is borne exclusively by external actors and partners. Member States implementing SSR should also commit some national resources to the process. Given the multiplicity of actors involved, coordination between national Governments, regional and subregional organizations, the United Nations and other international organizations is very critical.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“State-building at all levels is therefore a key policy objective in the international community's post- conflict intervention. We also recognize security sector reform as an essential but not sufficient condition for lasting peace and security. It needs to be part of broader democratization and reform processes in any post- conflict setting. That is why we are of the View that security sector reform should be integrated as early as possible in peace processes as one of the essential elements of conflict prevention, early recovery, peacebuilding and sustainable development. On the SSR process itself, there is a need to focus on three issues that we are believe are crucial to the successful implementation of SSR and that the Council should encourage in this record. They are national ownership, coordination, and capacity-building.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“With its rapid achievements in institution-building, including in the security sector, Rwanda decided to actively contribute troops to African and United Nations peacekeeping missions. Having said that, this shows that security sector reform should be a priority endeavour in order for the security sector to gain credibility and trust and for the population to identify with it. That is possible with the delivery of effective and efficient security and justice services by security sector institutions that are accountable to the Government and the people and operate without discrimination and with full respect for the rule of law. We believe that re-establishing the Government's authority and control in all sectors in the aftermath of conflict is a prerequisite for sustainable peace and stability.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“It is in that context that Rwanda, under the Rwandan Patriotic Front, found its defining mission: to integrate and reintegrate its people, beginning with the military. The move towards security sector reform has been described as a process for developing professional and effective security structures that allow citizens to live their lives in safety. As is the case for other heads of public institutions, the main military and police commanders in Rwanda have committed themselves to achieving clear and measurable targets through an annual performance contract, which is assessed every year before the President of the Republic. Over recent years, research has shown that most Rwandans have confidence and trust in their police and army.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“After the end ofthe genocide in July 1994, which was stopped by the Rwandan Patriotic Front, the country embarked on an unprecedented security sector reform, starting with the integration in the new security forces of members of the defeated army. One of them even became a Minister of Defence. Given the nearly failed state of Rwanda, the first thing was to ensure security by integrating and forming a coherent national defence force. The policy of integrating the military and the militia into a coherent force - what would become the Rwanda Defence Force - served as a role model for the greater society, which had been polarized and divided. With security in place, it was easier to start building capacity in all the other sectors.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“Over the past few years, we have witnessed situations where the weakness of national armies has enabled armed groups to make progress and even overthrow Governments. In other situations, national armies were used to commit mass atrocities against the very civilians they were mandated to protect. That was the case in Libya and Rwanda, where the Forces armees rwandaises, which had been ethnicized and regionalized since independence in 1963, were the main perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, together with the infamous Interahamwe militias. Allow me to share with you, Sir, and our colleagues here our humble experience. Rwanda has learned from its dark past.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“I thank you, Mr. President, for organizing this important thematic debate on security sector reform, which is critical to ensuring sustainable peace and stability in post-conflict countries. I also thank His Excellency Mr. Ban Ki-moon, for his statement. Your presence here today, Mr. President, is an indication of your country's continued commitment to post-conflict peacebuilding activities in which security sector reform has been an integral part. We are always saying, without pride, that more than two thirds of the agenda of the Security Council is concerned with African conflicts. What we need to add is that, in all those conflicts, there has been a failure of the security forces to protect the national institutions, the territorial integrity of the country and, worst of all, civilians.”
2014-04-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7161 (2014) · source
“My delegation will continue to support and work closely with the Office of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General on Sexual Violence in Conflict in the implementation of its mandate.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“The Security Council should reinforce its efforts to ensure that investigations and prosecutions are carried out through the national justice systems when possible, or through various international justice mechanisms. Regardless of any debate we may have, our main objective is to ensure thatjustice is done for the victims, which can also serve as a deterrent for all belligerents. In conclusion, allow me to restate our understanding that sexual violence in conflict, like any other growing violent trend, is a criminal practice that we can eradicate if we have the political will. We strongly believe that our joint efforts can yield tangible results and create a changed environment on the ground for those affected by that terrible scourge.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“All peacekeepers should be trained on gender issues and ways to support victims of rape before deploying to peace operations. On our part, Rwanda has adopted predeployment courses for all our troops that include lessons related to sexual and gender-based violence. In the same vein, we call for the deployment of gender advisers, women protection advisers and child protection advisers in all United Nations peacekeeping missions to focus on violations and abuses committed against women and children, including all forms of sexual violence in armed conflicts. Needless to say, the fight against impunity and accountability is key to eradicate the scourge of sexual violence in conflict.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“In that regard, I totally agreed with what our colleague Prince Zeid that rapes perpetrated by United Nations civilian staff while on a peacekeeping mission cannot and should not go unpunished. As the Council discusses options for the United Nations engagement in several conflict-stricken countries where the situation continues to worsen, with women bearing the brunt of the conflict and with human rights violations increasing, the United Nations presence should have a robust mandate to protect civilians. Protecting those in need should be given priority by ensuring that we take full measures, in particular to provide more effective protection to the civilian population at risk, to create the conditions for humanitarian assistance and to allow the investigation of violations and abuses.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“Governments, whether in conflict or at peace, have a primary responsibility to prevent any acts of sexual violence against women, children and men, and to ensure accountability for such crimes. That responsibility is transferred to non-State actors under whose control civilians are. We call on the established United Nations Team of Experts on the Rule of Law and Sexual Violence in Conflict to continue supporting national institutions to strengthen their response in addressing sexual violence. Ending impunity for those who commit sexual Violence during conflict should be our collective effort and goal. Along the same lines, the Council should ensure that all country reports and mandate renewals evaluate the level of protection and promotion of women's human rights, as set out in several Security Council resolutions.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“Sexual violence is also a reality in Syria, the Central African Republic and many other conflict areas. In South Sudan, the radio is even used to call for the rape of women based on their ethnicity. We totally agree with Ms. Bangura that sexual violence in conflict needs to be treated as a war crime, not as an unfortunate collateral damage of war. It is therefore up to us as Member States to end this scourge. It must be made clear that sexual violence is not only a United Nations issue but an issue that requires the leadership, national ownership and responsibility of States. National ownership is imperative because it is at the national level that Governments create a platform for awareness and outreach against those crimes.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“A few years ago, the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda established that rape and other forms of sexual violence were used as a weapon of war during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Although no one can tell the true number of the victims of rape during the genocide, it is reported that between 100,000 and 250,000 women were raped. Some of those women survived with scars, some with incurable diseases, such as HIV/AIDS. The consequence of those heinous crimes is beyond description. Nevertheless, the perpetrators of those crimes in Rwanda, now acting under the umbrella of the Forces democratiques de libe'ration du Rwanda, continued their mayhem in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, where they terrorized communities and committed rape against women and girls.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“I thank you, Madam President, for organizing this important open debate. I would also like to convey my sincere gratitude to Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon and to his Special Representative on Sexual Violence in Conflict, Ms. Zainab Hawa Bangura, for their respective statements. Under their leadership, the silence has been broken surrounding the crime of sexual and gender- based violence, and they have rallied the Security Council to put in place a normative framework. But as Ms. Bangura has consistently stated, sexual violence continues to be pervaisive in crisis. We also wish to acknowledge the statement made by Ms. Rhoda Misaka, representative of the NGO Working Group on Women, Peace and Security.”
2014-04-25 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7160 (2014) · source
“In conclusion, I would like to quote Ambassador Maria Cristina Perceval of Argentina, who stated the following at a meeting of Security Council members with President Kagame, held on 7 October 2013 in Kigali. "When I hear you, Mr. President, I remember the history of my country. I came here to see, to learn and to understand, not to point fingers. Genocide is not a slogan; it is in our body, and the shadow of the past is the light of tomorrow." Let us learn from that bitter past of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda in order to better prevent and fight against future genocide and mass atrocities. Again, a special thanks to all my colleagues on the Security Council, who not only voted for the resolution but also all of whom, exceptionally, co-sponsored it.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“My message to them is simply this: when you see people at risk of atrocity crimes, do not wait for instructions from afar; speak up, even ifit may offend. Act. Our first duty must always be to protect people - to protect human beings in need and distress." So let the entire United Nations system put in place the infrastruture to implement such a shift in policy. It is a priority. Before I conclude, let me say that Rwanda is grateful to the Security Council that resolution 2150 (2014) condemns without reservation any denial of the genocide in Rwanda. We therefore reiterate our call on all Member States to support the fight against the denial of the genocide, which is a denial of the right to memory, healing and reconciliation, and the obligation to learn lessons from the past.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“In other words, the United Nations should have the capacity to deploy quickly rather than mobilizing for that deployment when a crisis erupts. That can be harnessed to regional and subregional arrangements, most of which are in the process of creating standby brigades. It is also very important that the international community invest greatly in strengthening the capacity of local and regional actors, given their higher incentive to respond to conflicts and crises in their proximity. In that regard, we welcome the statement delivered by the Secretary-General in Kigali on 7 April during the twentieth commemmoration of the genocide against the Tutsi, which we believe is a paradigm shift of the Organization: "1 have sent my own signal to United Nations representatives around the world.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“We believe that more emphasis should be placed on reducing the risk of genocide and mass atrocities in order to reduce the need for crisis response. Investing in the areas that address the root causes of conflicts, such as improving the quality of democratic governance and human rights, establishing strong institutions, promoting economic performance, reducing poverty and inequality, and ensuring national reconciliation will, over time, lower that risk. We also believe that more effort should be put into United Nations crisis preparedness as opposed to crisis improvisation. In that context, operational capacities should be developed well ahead in order to manage commonly recurring situations and to improve institutional responsiveness.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“As a result, some of those efforts may not amount to much, and the pledges of "never again" will sound just as hollow today as they were after the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. It is true that the severity of the challenges that must be overcome for preventive action to be timely and effective are immense. On any given day, not just at the level of the United Nations but also within Member States, policymakers are grappling with many pressing tasks relating to crises unfolding somewhere in the world. Focusing on a problem that has not yet surfaced is clearly very difficult, but we believe that this is the task that this Organization should have mastered by now, over the nearly seven decades of its existence. It requires immense effort and willpower to overcome the many political, financial and operational obstacles.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“It is regrettable that some of the initiatives adopted in good faith in the United Nations by Member States and aimed at preventing and fighting genocide have encountered various challenges in their implementation and created controversies among States. Today, some of the viable initiatives, such as the International Criminal Court, are prone to political manipulation and abuses, which in turn contradict the original intentions in creating such mechanisms. Other initiatives are still ill equipped and without sufficient capacity to discharge their functions, which in the long run hinders the translation of normative frameworks into practical preventive tools that match the realities on the ground.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“With the work and jurisprudence of the United Nations criminal tribunals, including the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda and the International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia, and the special mixed tribunal in Sierra Leone and other international criminal mechanisms, the importance of accountability for perpetrators has been highlighted. It was our hope that the combination of all those efforts would result in a robust and effective architecture. As the concept note (S/2014/265, annex) puts it, the key question today is whether such capacity is adequate, or if there are areas that need sustained improvement. Without going into detail, anyone in this Chamber would agree that sustained improvement is required.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“Those efforts range from endorsement in 2005 at the World Summit of the concept of the responsibility to protect; the enhancement of the agenda on the protection of civilians through normative frameworks; the creation of the Office of the Special Adviser on the Prevention of Genocide; and, in relation to the responsibility to protect, the implementation of the Rights Up Front action plan as a tool for the United Nations to improve prevention by instituting a due-diligence policy on human rights to help enforce United Nations purposes and principles as set out in the Charter.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“This was evident in the fact that the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda materialized in spite of the adoption four decades earlier of the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, and despite the inherent responsibility of the Security Council for the maintenance of international peace and security. Since the tragedy that occurred in Rwanda, the Organization has deployed efforts to prevent genocide and mass atrocities by improving the capacity of the United Nations system, mobilizing the political will of key Member States and trying to learn lessons from the failures of the recent past - without, however, reaching their full potential.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“Twenty years later, we should ask if the broader international community, and the United Nations in particular, is capable of being any better at preventing a repeat of Rwanda in 1994 from happening elsewhere. On this issue, President Kagame clearly stated, in the same speech on 7 April, that "[n]o country, in Africa or anywhere else, ever needs to become another Rwanda. But if a people's choices are not informed by historical clarity, the danger is ever present". The horrific scenes coming from the Central African Republic, Syria and South Sudan will in some cases convince many that the United Nations is still struggling to match its normative principles with realities on the ground, and that the prevention of mass atrocities still has a long way to go.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“A lack of political will on the part of permanent members of the Council, who held veto power; a lack of political will on the part of the United Nations Secretariat, which deliberately gave erroneous information in the Secretary-General's reports that contradicted the true information coming from the United Nations Force Commander; a lack of political will on the part of the troop-contributing countries that pulled out their troops, leaving those who had run to them for protection at the mercy of Interhamwe militias. As President Paul Kagame said on 7 April, "genocide prevention demands historical clarity of all of us". It is therefore our duty to recall that genocide was carried out in Rwanda owing to complete systemic indifference between and during the tragedy.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“Her question was that today, if the international community had at its disposal the information and capacity to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe, as it did in 1994, would it act differently? In 1994, the issue was not a lack of information about the true picture of what was happening in Rwanda. It was not a lack of a legal characterization of the crimes that were committed. It was not a lack of budgets or funding. As Ambassador Keating wrote, it was simply a lack of political will.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“Others - Hutus, Twas and foreign citizens - were also killed for opposing the genocide and for carrying out their obligation to protect their fellow humans. The systemic slaughter of men, women and children was perpetrated in full view of the international community. The genocide against the Tutsi highlighted the extent to which methods of prevention at the United Nations failed utterly. In that regard, my Minister for Foreign Affairs, Louise Mushikiwabo, at the launch of the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary in Rwanda back in January, raised a pertinent question that I believe the Security Council should endeavour to respond to in the years ahead.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“I thank both gentlemen, or let me say dear friends, for their briefings today. I take the opportunity to thank all members of the Council for adopting unanimously resolution 2150 (2014) on the prevention and fight against genocide on the occasion of the commemoration of the twentieth anniversary of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, during which Hutus and others were also killed. I also particularly thank all States Members of the United Nations that sponsored the resolution. It is our hope that the resolution will serve as a wake-up call and make a contribution, small as it may be, to preventing and fighting against future genocides. In April 1994, more than a million people were slaughtered in Rwanda during the 100 days between April and July 1994. That is 10,000 people every day for the sole crime ofbeing born Tutsi.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“Madam President, I thank you for organizing this important briefing as one of the events for the twentieth commemoration of the genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda. Our briefers today have undoubtedly an extensive array of experience on the topic of the prevention of and fight against genocide. I welcome Ambassador Colin Keating of New Zealand, a man who, as a President of the Security Council in April 1994, witnessed a lurid moment of weakness of this organ 20 years ago, when he was calling for help for our people. I also acknowledge the presence of Deputy Secretary-General Jan Eliasson, a man who has rallied the United Nations system to learn from its failure in Rwanda in 1994 and who has played an important role in the liberation and promotion of our responsibility to protect.”
2014-04-16 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7155 (2014) · source
“However, we should not forget that ordinary Ukrainians are caught in the midst of this conflict; all they want and ask for is a peaceful country. This we should all be mindful of.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“The international community cannot watch another crisis slip out of its hands. We must act on what we stand for - peace and security. We welcome the discussion among the United States, Ukraine and Russia due to take place on 17 April. We encourage United Nations participation in those talks. In conclusion, let me reiterate that the Security Council, the only world body in charge of maintaining international peace and security, must work towards restoring its own unity in order to be able to defend the unity, sovereignty and territorial integrity of a States Members of the United Nations, while addressing the interests of the countries of the region. We recognize that there are political interests involved.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“It is imperative to protect the rights of the citizens of Ukraine regardless of ethnic background. We reiterate our call for an inclusive dialogue, a frank and open discussion that is mutually beneficial for all the parties concerned. Although Rwanda agrees in principle that Ukraine, like any other country, has a right to self-defence and to promote its territorial integrity, its acts should be proportional. We discourage any military act that would put the lives of innocent civilians in danger. Rwanda remains of the View that military action will only worsen the already tense situation. We encourage all the parties involved, particularly in the current situation, to exercise full restraint. It is vital to allow the diplomatic efforts that have already been deployed to work.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“I thank you, Madam President, for convening this emergency meeting on the situation in Ukraine. I also thank Assistant Secretary- General Oscar Fernandez-Taranco for his briefing on the worrying situation in eastern Ukraine. We are very alarmed by reports of increased tensions in eastern Ukraine in the past several days. We condemn the attack that killed a State security officer and wounded five others in the eastern city of Slovyansk. The perpetrators of that criminal act should be brought to justice. I take this opportunity to echo the Secretary-General's call to all sides to work towards calming the situation. After numerous calls for the de-escalation of the crisis, the situation has become more complex for the diverse Ukrainian community.”
2014-04-13 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7154 (2014) · source
“That is also in line with the recent meeting of the International Conference on the Great Lakes Region held in Luanda on 25 March, which called for coordinated efforts to urgently engage military action against the FDLR and to continue to repatriate those willing to disarm. That mandate is one aspect of a comprehensive plan to permanently address issues of insecurity, especially in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and for MONUSCO and the Intervention Brigade to support the FARDC to put such plans into sustained action. We urge the Council to ensure accountability for its implementation. Finally, through its national, bilateral and regional commitments, Rwanda reiterates its unwavering support to peace, stability and prosperity in our region.”
2014-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7150 (2014) · source
“And it has held hostage refugees who are willing to return to Rwanda. Also, just recently, innocent civilians in my country were killed as a result of renewed attacks by the FDLR in public markets and bus stations, mostly in the city of Kigali. In resolution 2147 (2014), the Security Council expresses its concern that the FDLR has continued to have freedom of movement in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. It also reaffirms its commitment to eliminate the great threat posed by that genocidal movement through sustained actions by the Forces armees de la Republique democratique du Congo (FARDC), MONUSCO and the Force Intervention Brigade.”
2014-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7150 (2014) · source
“Like resolution 2136 (2014), of 30 January 2014, the resolution just adopted recalls, in its twelfth preambuar paragraph, that the FDLR is "a group under United Nations sanctions whose leaders and members include perpetrators of the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi in Rwanda, during which Hutu and others who opposed the genocide were also killed, and have continued to promote and commit ethnically based and other killings in Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo". Indeed, for the past 20 years, the FDLR has continued to destabilize the region and the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Reports from non-governmental organizations and the United Nations have implicated the group in widespread rape, killing and other atrocities in the eastern part of the country. It continues to use children as soldiers and slaves.”
2014-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7150 (2014) · source
“Rwanda hopes that this mandate renewal, in particular of the Force Intervention Brigade, revives MONUSCO's mission to neutralize armed groups in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, especially the so-called Forces democratiques de liberation du Rwanda (FDLR), which continue to pose a sustained threat against populations in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and against my country, Rwanda.”
2014-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7150 (2014) · source
“I take the floor to explain Rwanda's vote on resolution 2147 (2014), which renews the mandate of the United Nations Organization Stabilization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo (MONUSCO), including the Force Intervention Brigade, for an additional year. First of all, I would like to thank Ambassador Ge'rard Araud of France, penholder on the Democratic Republic of the Congo, for the usual good conduct of the negotiations that enabled the Security Council to adopt the resolution unanimously. I equally appreciate the role played by Ambassador Samantha Power of the United States in ensuring consensus on that important text. I also thank all Council members for the contributions and flexibility throughout the negotiating process.”
2014-03-28 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7150 (2014) · source
“In conclusion, let me stress that the Security Council, which is the world's only body in charge of the maintenance of international peace and security, must work towards restoring its own unity, in order to be able to defend the independence, sovereignty and territorial integrity of a United Nations State Member while addressing the interests of all the countries ofthe region.”
2014-03-19 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7144 (2014) · source