YouSaid · the spoken record

President Kagame

lines on the record: 34
first: 2001-02-07
most recent: 2021-10-12
sittings or episodes: 3
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

“Rwanda’s experience is that no matter how bad the situation appears, success is always an option. Let us build on today’s debate and challenge ourselves to work together to demand better results in international peacebuilding. Once again, I commend the Republic of Kenya for organizing today’s event.”
2021-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8877 (2021) · source
“It is deeply political and human and must take into account the emotions and the memories that the various parties bring to the table. Multilateral organizations, such as the United Nations and the African Union, have a central role to play in many situations. Civil society groups, particularly those led by women, also have a key role to play, as do business leaders. However, even though we have had the opportunity to learn lessons from previous failures and successes of peacebuilding processes, the international community’s toolbox has hardly changed. Rwanda’s post-genocide trajectory is marked by a consistent focus on our national unity, inclusion and service delivery. There are other positive examples from Africa and beyond. Practical and tangible partnership is critical.”
2021-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8877 (2021) · source
“However, the intensity and the impact of conflicts can be minimized by remaining attentive to local needs and expectations. That means investing in the capacity of institutions and individuals so that they can deliver the results that citizens expect and deserve. Secondly, there is no universal template that can be transferred automatically from one context to another. External advice and examples can be helpful in encouraging reflection and finding new approaches. We have benefited from various partnerships ourselves in Rwanda. Thirdly, we must reckon with the growing power of social media to exploit vectors of division in society that can quickly weaken the social fabric. Finally, peacebuilding is not a purely technical enterprise.”
2021-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8877 (2021) · source
“President Kagame: I wish to start by thanking His Excellency President Uhuru Kenyatta for the invitation to join the Security Council today and for choosing such an important and timely topic for this debate. Peace is much more than the absence of violence. The precondition for sustainable peace is a shared understanding of the root causes of conflict by a broad range of stakeholders in society. Allow me to offer a few thoughts on what that may entail, informed by Rwanda’s own recent experience. First, peacebuilding should be understood as an ongoing process — a constant search for solutions through dialogue and consensus, as we say in Rwanda. It may not be possible to prevent all conflict entirely; in fact, disagreements and grievances will always be present in one form or another.”
2021-10-12 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.8877 (2021) · source
“The Rwandan demobilization and reintegration programme, carried out in partnership with the United Nations and the World Bank, has provided tens of thousands with a pathway out of extremism. Resolution 2178 (2014) reflects a consensus that terrorism is an urgent problem for the entire world. We stand ready to work together to make sure that we address that challenge with others.”
2014-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7272 (2014) · source
“Only then can efforts to address the root causes be effective. Terrorism is not caused by religion, ethnicity or even poverty, but by misguided politics and false beliefs. In order to build resilience to extremist narratives, people, especially youth, must feel that they have a stake in their country. We therefore fully endorse the call for a broad-based approach to combating violent extremism. In Rwanda, we still face acts of terrorism driven by the ideology of genocide. When necessary, we have responded with force, but more importantly, we have remained committed to building inclusive and accountable institutions and systems. In particular, it is essential that those who renounce violence can be accommodated.”
2014-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7272 (2014) · source
“President Kagame: I would like to thank you, President Obama, for calling and presiding over this very important meeting. For decades terrorism has been, and continues to be, a reality in Africa and across the world. In some regions, it has even been getting worse. Another reality is that we can and must defeat those violent extremists and terrorists through concrete actions and cooperation. This week we commemorated the attack on the Westgate Mall in Nairobi, which claimed dozens of lives. Resolution 2178 (2014), which we have just adopted, is therefore an unfortunate necessity. Additional measures to disrupt terrorist travel and financing are important, and we will continue to do our part. Above and beyond that, wherever atrocities are being committed, the first priority is to halt them.”
2014-09-24 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.7272 (2014) · source
“Otherwise, we will continue with our endeavours to try to achieve peace, whether it is through the Lusaka framework or through talking to different individuals that can make a valuable contribution to realizing final peace. We shall continue to engage the Government of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, under Joseph Kabila. We shall always be open, and we shall be ready to work with other countries in the region towards this objective of realizing peace in our region. Once again, I am very happy for this opportunity to clear up some ofthe issues that have been raised, but I remain available to go on with whatever I might not have covered fully.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“That issue must be addressed if we are to finally realize security on both sides. We need to look at security issues on all sides, and that is really something that would be easier to do. We are ready. Once we have gone through with the implementation of the Lusaka peace process, the big countries in the region should get together and think of how we can create a framework on a permanent basis that will address security issues in the region. This has happened in other regions; I do not see why it cannot serve us as well. But this is something that will come once we have overcome this crucial stage of moving ahead to implement what we have already agreed to in the peace process.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“We do not have precise information, but we think that, given what we have been noticing on the ground and what we get from those we have been able to capture at the front line when they are fighting, the figure would be about 15,000 ofthem. But again, this is not the only issue. The issue is taking this 15,000 and adding other forces that constitute a problem for our country. If it were just about numbers this would be easy. In 1997 we repatriated 2 million of our refugees; among them there were over 40,000 ex-FAR and militia. We reintegrated them into the rest of the society. We have reintegrated over 15,000 former soldiers in our own army. So this is not a problem. The problem is that these others stayed out, and they are being helped to become a threat to our country. That is where the issue lies.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“When it comes to the ex-FAR and Interahamwe, there is condemnation and understanding that they create security problems, but it always falls short of having clarity on the question of how you deal with the people who associate with these groups and that make them a security threat to Rwanda. So, I really hope that the Council will also help us to address that problem; otherwise, with numbers it is hard to be very specific. I am sure that the precise numbers are mainly with those who are using them or who have been helping them. I am sure that in giving them arms and giving them clothes and food, they have numbers.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“This Council has been involved with so many resolutions about the ex-FAR and Interahamwe, the genocide suspects and how past resolutions to deal with that are to be put in practice. I have always wondered why there have been shortcomings in even following up, as one way of actually dealing with this problem, to make sure that nobody actually associates with these groups. This Council has done that in the case of Angola, with UNITA. They have threatened sanctions. They have done everything for the countries, for individuals and for groups that we associate with UNITA, and they think that has helped in that situation.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“I think that there is a grey area that is not well defined and that I would request the Council to help us define so that we all fully understand what we are talking about and so that we can see whether we are rightly being accused or whether more explanation is needed. If I may talk about the former Rwandan Armed Forces (ex-FAR) and Interahamwe, somebody was interested in the numbers. The numbers are one important aspect to find out about and to know. But the other very important aspect that is important to know is not so much the numbers as it is the very fact that there are Governments and people that are turning these numbers into a threat by giving arms and training and by associating with it. I think that this is very crucial, and we should not lose track of that by just talking about numbers.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“I do not know whether they found us lacking in any way - I have not been informed about that. We are ready to continue. The other thing is that they could be very helpful if they, in our case, have things to really compare. If today they have figures about how many suspect diamonds or how much suspect gold is being exported by Rwanda, then we would very much appreciate that information, because this can easily be looked for and found. This would help us to know the actual extent to which the issue that is being highlighted has gone. Insofar as Rwanda is concerned, I think that there has been an exaggeration about this issue.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“If the rebels who are in the Congo are also illegal Congolese and cannot therefore do anything in that territory with people who have been doing that business all the time, it is an issue and an area that the Council could help to clear up, so as to really know what we are talking about when everybody is on board. We shall be glad to make our own contributions to clear the air about illegal exploitation of resources, which has tended to take us away from dealing with the main theme: the peace issue, with the security issues and with the withdrawal of forces, and getting out of this situation. We shall be able to engage the committee and provide whatever support and information they require from our country. They have already learned that. They have come, and we have talked to them.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“It is my personal View that, sometimes, some of these problems have tended to be diversionary * they take us away from the real issues that we should be addressing and do not help us to prevent some of these things from happening. We know of some cases - and we shall be happy to inform the committee concerned 4 in which there have been people trading in diamonds and gold for the last 15 years in the eastern Congo - going through Burundi, going through Rwanda, going through everywhere - and they are still in that business. They are doing it with the Congolese.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“It seems that people have different understandings about this term. I am sure there may be people rightly accused of exploiting resources in the Congo, but from the stories I have heard it is not really black and white. I think there is a grey area that needs to be sorted out. For example, there has been talk about exploitation of diamonds and gold. We shall convey all the information we have to the commission that has been established. I am glad that the commission has been established to look into that, but it will serve this Council very well if the commission acts professionally, thoroughly and objectively, and not politically, in looking at the problem.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“Yes, there are violations of human rights taking place in Bunia, problems between the Lendu and the Hema that we have all read about in the papers. We are not there. Rwanda is not deployed in Bunia - not a single soldier. I really wish to put some of these things in the right perspective because this Council, unfortunately, does not always have credible sources of information. The United Nations has a presence in the Congo - a Mission authorized by this Council. I think some of these things should be brought to light in a better way. As to the exploitation of resources, which many people have talked about - it should not be there. I would also ask the Council, when it finds the time and if it finds it appropriate to do so, to help us to define what the term "illegal exploitation of the resources of the Congo" means.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“They are not there. They are scattered; they are very few. There should be more than there are today to help in that situation, and we shall continue to try and help as much as our limited capacity allows. Of course, sometimes people hear of violations of human rights. They do not fully understand to whom they are attributed. The other day, not long ago, somebody was accusing our country of violating human rights in Bunia, killing the people there. It took me a long time to convince these people that there is not a single Rwandan deployed in Bunia. This is an area that is totally different from where we are deployed, but somebody there is writing accusations that Rwanda is violating human rights in Bunia.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“We have not been able, however, to control every household, every road and every forest to ensure that nothing happens. Most of the things that happen are happening because of the forces that are not controlled. Unfortunately, this is a situation that we have had to live with for quite a long time and that is the background of why we are in the Congo in the first place. It has been to try to fight this kind of thing and to ensure that it does not happen. On the question of humanitarian aid workers, I am surprised that it is not known that the forces from Rwanda are actually about the only friends they have in that situation. They are the ones who are on their side, protecting them. The other problem is that they are not even there; actually, they do not come. I wish these humanitarian workers were there to help the population.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“In the eastern Congo, where we are deployed, there have been violations of human rights by the many forces that are operating in that area, which we have actually been fighting: the Mai-Mai, the members of the former Rwandan Armed Forces, the Interahamwe and the other groups. We have sometimes asked the rebel forces to look into that and to bring to book their own forces who may have been involved in it. The Government of Rwanda does not hesitate to take action against any of its members who get involved in any violations of human rights. This can be attested to by the courts in Rwanda that handle these cases. Individuals who have committed human rights violations are apprehended, brought to Rwanda and tried by the courts. This is done in broad daylight. We do not condone violations of human rights.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“When we withdrew our forces, the forces of Kabila moved into areas where we had been and killed people in northern Katanga and northern Kasai because the population was being accused of having been collaborators with the rebels who are fighting the Government or with Rwanda. There was therefore a mass movement of people following our forces, running away from the areas from which we had withdrawn. This was something we had expected; we had wanted the United Nations observers to be there, to observe and to be able to apportion responsibility and place it where it belonged. So violations are taking place throughout the Congo. When we see on television people being shot and thrown in the rivers in Kinshasa, this must be talked about. These are very serious violations of human rights.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“One of the reasons for the failure of our withdrawal, when we tried to do it, was actually the violations of human rights by the Government. This withdrawal failed because of a number of things. We wanted and requested United Nations observers to come and be placed in some areas. Clearly, their numbers were not sufficient, so perhaps they needed to be brought into some specific, important areas to observe our withdrawal and events following it. The United Nations was not able to deploy in time, so we asked whether we should actually continue and do it without the United Nations deployment. There was an agreement that we could withdraw.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“I want quickly to address some of the other concerns that have been voiced, for example the human rights problems that have been talked about. This is a problem. In actual fact, the background ofthe problem we have in the Congo is the violation of human rights. That is the background. That is what we are trying to address, but I would rather look at it more comprehensively by saying that the human rights violations in eastern Congo are as bad as those in the west, north and south of the Congo. I would not advise the Council to discriminate about violations of human rights. The violations of human rights have been taking place in different forms throughout the territory of the Congo - in Kinshasa, in Lubumbashi, in northern Katanga and in northern Kasai.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“For example, somebody talked about the proposal put forward by Rwanda when the disengagement that had been agreed on was not taking place: Rwanda decided unilaterally to take measures that would support the peace process by withdrawing its forces 200 kilometres, pulling them back towards Rwanda's border. Failure of that was caused by the Government of the Congo. In fact, the Congo itself did not even deny it; it was clear and open. We are still ready to take some of these initiatives, which would help advance the peace process. But that is not an end in itself; our pulling back or doing other things does not constitute an end in itself. The end is for everybody eventually to do what they are supposed to do and what they are asked to do in the peace process.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“Actually, that is the most crucial thing - if it had happened at the time it was supposed to have happened. The issues of who goes first, who goes last and who does what have been introduced by somebody; that causes delays of its own, and we accept that. That is one problem. On the issue of withdrawal, Rwanda is ready to withdraw its forces as agreed under Lusaka, and in conjunction with other problems being resolved - because forces came into the Congo for a certain reason, and Lusaka also addresses that reason. This should be taking place if we are serious about the implementation of the peace process - and Rwanda in particular is serious about the implementation of that process. At one point we even offered suggestions for trying to speed up implementation.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“Sometimes measures have been taken that in actual fact cause, in one way or another, a delay in the whole peace process by trying to revise what had been agreed to by everybody f the signatories ofthe peace process. For example, we spend so much time talking about "invited" and "uninvited" forces, when in actual fact the peace process, signed by everybody, says that all forces must withdraw. Then somebody decides to begin an argument about "invited" and "uninvited" forces; this adds to the length of time that should be spent on discussing the most important issues and on perhaps reaching an agreement on them. I think the issue is clear under the Lusaka peace process. Everybody, including the President of the Congo and the Government of the Congo, is a signatory; they agreed to the total withdrawal of forces.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“Sometimes, taking up issues in a very fragmented way is not very helpful in addressing the whole situation in a comprehensive way. Lusaka talks about all the things we have been discussing: it talks about disengagement; it talks about withdrawal of forces. With withdrawal and other things taking place, most likely there will be no forces on the ground to blame for one thing or another. I think that some of the problems exist because we have failed to do the most important thing: to try to focus all our energy on making sure that the peace process is implemented. Sometimes we have not been able to differentiate between those who openly and clearly are violating the ceasefire and the peace process and those who have tried to meet their obligations.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“President Kagame: I am grateful for this additional opportunity to talk about the very important issues that have brought us here today. I have listened with great interest to the various serious concerns so well articulated by members of the Council with respect to the situation in the Great Lakes region, and to proposals concerning how we should be dealing with that situation. I would respond by saying that most of those concerns are genuine; some of them are correct, others are not fully correct, and still others are perhaps lacking in facts or information. I shall try to address as many as I can on that basis. First of all, in my view, most of the concerns that have been raised will in fact be addressed and dealt with if we focus on implementing the peace process that was agreed on at Lusaka.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“However, the two of us, and maybe a few others, having discussed this issue is not enough. I think that everybody needs to come to our assistance - the assistance ofthe Congo, of Rwanda, of the region - in order to support this process so that it can be implemented. I have no doubt that the Council will continue to play its role in finding a solution, or solutions, to many of these problems that I have mentioned. I continue to call upon the Council to be helpful not only in bringing about peace but also in supporting the region in terms of socio-economic development. With these few remarks, I look forward to the support of the Council, and I will be very ready to continue our discussion in case there are any questions. I will make whatever clarifications that might be required on these issues.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“It has been discussed in different forums, and we have always, unfortunately, fallen short of some practical ways of eradicating that problem. So, that is the second core issue. I think that the Lusaka peace process is built on it, and it needs to be taken forward. The third core issue is the withdrawal of foreign armies from the Congo. All three of these issues are addressed in the formula we have in the Lusaka peace process. If we go back to that and see what we can do to move the peace forward, then we most likely have a chance - with the change that has taken place in the Congo and with the statements that the new President has made about wanting to realize peace fl not only in the Congo but also in the region. That is the impression I got from him when I was speaking with him.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“My country has the desire to fulfil its obligations as demanded by the Lusaka peace process, or even beyond that. There are really three core issues that must be addressed, in my View, in order to have the Lusaka process succeed. These are the issues on which the process was built. One is the inter-Congolese dialogue, which is talked about in the peace agreement. Hopefully this inter-Congolese dialogue will lead to a stable situation internally in the Congo so that problems will stop originating from the Congo and affecting the neighbouring countries. The second core issue is how the problem of former Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR) and Interahamwe are addressed in this whole situation. This problem has been going on from May 1994 until this moment.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“Without peace in the Congo and the countries of the region, development and this kind of progress definitely will not take place. However, there have been efforts before, and these efforts have continued in order to try to address these matters that would contribute to peace and stability in the region. That is why we later on reached the peace agreement in Lusaka, though at later stages it became difficult to have it implemented. So, it is true - I agree, as has been said, that there is a need to take advantage of the change that has taken place in the Congo, however tragic that was in its coming. I discussed with the new President, President Kabila, many issues relating to what we can all do in the region to bring about this peace. That mainly focused on the implementation of the Lusaka peace process.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source
“President Kagame: I thank the Secretary- General for his introduction and I thank you, Mr. President, for your invitation to me to address this Council. I want to start by informing the Council that Rwanda has been trying to rebuild itself from the devastation caused by the genocide and other problems before that. Progress has been made in the area of the reconstruction and rehabilitation of the country, in matters of reconciliation, in dealing with the questions ofjustice and in the bigger problem of socio-economic development. However, this progress and the efforts behind it are being hampered by the general context in which this is happening - the context being what is happening in the region. This relates to the situation in the Congo, which I am sure many members of the Council have been following very closely.”
2001-02-07 · UN Security Council · Security Council, S/PV.4273 (2001) · source