The attached document reproduces the text of an open letter from Amnesty International to President Pasteur Bizimungu, President of Rwanda. On the occasion of the second anniversary of the start of the genocide and other massacres which took place in Rwanda in 1994, Amnesty International is urging the President to seize the opportunity to make human rights a definitive priority for Rwanda. The organization is appealing to him to do all in his power to put in place strong safeguards to ensure that the events of 1994 can never be repeated. Two years have passed since the start of the tragic events which claimed as many as one million lives in Rwanda between April and July 1994. Now, in April 1996, Rwanda still hovers between hope for the future and fear of the legacy of the past.
Human rights hang in the balance.
A semblance of calm has been restored in many parts of Rwanda, yet tensions persist under the surface. Urgent action is still required to ensure that respect for human rights becomes entrenched as a fundamental value in Rwandese society. The open letter to the President focuses on action which must now be taken by the Rwandese Government to ensure that human rights are protected. It does not present a detailed account of the human rights situation in Rwanda but presents a set of ten recommendations for action. In March 1996, Amnesty International also addressed a Memorandum to the Rwandese Government presenting the organization's concerns and recommendations for fair trials in Rwanda.