B4-0753, 0773, 0789, 0794, 0804, 0810 and 0825/95

Resolution on the situation in Rwanda

The European Parliament,

- recalling its previous resolutions and initiatives on the situation in Rwanda, in particular those of 15 September 1994 ((OJ C 276, 3.10.1994, p. 17.)) and 27 October 1994 ((OJ C 323, 21.11.1994, p. 160.)), the emergency meeting of the Conference of Presidents on 26 July 1994, the recommendations of its mission to Rwanda undertaken from 27 to 31 July 1994, and the resolution on the outcome of that mission adopted at the ACP-EU Joint Assembly meeting in Dakar in January 1995,

A. appalled at the horrifying massacre perpetrated by the Rwandan Patriotic Front at the Kibeho camp on 22 April 1995, killing thousands of people,

B. whereas such serious events can only act as a further obstacle to the return of refugees and displaced persons, an essential pre-requisite for national reconciliation and a peaceful and lasting solution to the Rwandan problem,

C. whereas international action carried out so far has not achieved the desired results with regard to bringing about peace and the return of refugees and displaced people to their homes in guaranteed safety, despite the efforts of the Rwandan Government and international and non-governmental organizations,

D. whereas the international community promised to contribute some $600 million for reconstruction but has so far failed to keep its word,

E. whereas the funds intended to finance the return of refugees and displaced persons are equal to barely 15% of the amount requested by the Rwandan Government, despite the fact that the money is a key to reconciliation, without which the country will not be able to regain its stability,

F. whereas the humanitarian situation of the refugees and displaced people has worsened over recent months,

G. alarmed by the feeble reaction of the Government of Kigali to the massacre at Kibeho,

H. concerned at conditions in Rwandan prisons, which are extremely overcrowded owing to the detention of persons suspected of involvement in acts of genocide,

I. concerned at the widespread feeling of insecurity among the population and the rising fear resulting from arrests, massacres, assassinations, rapes, confiscation of property and indiscriminate violence,

J. also concerned at the persistence of the crisis in Burundi, which threatens the stability of the country, threatening to explode into a new wave of massive violence,

1. Condemns the slaughter of Hutu refugees in the Kibeho camp;

2. Calls upon the government to cooperate fully with the independent international committee of inquiry set up to identify those responsible for the massacre, in order to bring these persons to justice as soon as possible;

3. Calls on the EU and its Member States to contribute to the rapid implementation of the UN Security Council decision to set up an international tribunal to try the authors of the genocide, as this is an essential prerequisite for national reconciliation;

4. Calls on the countries currently harbouring Rwandan war criminals to hand them over to be tried by the international court set up for that purpose; welcomes the arrest in Belgium of Mr Alphonse Higanivo and Mr Vincent Ntezimana, both suspected of involvement in acts of genocide; calls on the other Member States to arrest those persons suspected of genocide who are currently on their territory;

5. Points to the urgent need for the United Nations, as quickly as possible, to guarantee security in the refugee and displaced persons' camps in Zaire, Burundi, Tanzania, and Uganda, bearing in mind that they are frequently being used as bases for regrouping by the armed militias responsible for the 1994 genocide;

6. Calls on the Rwandan authorities to respect human rights and guarantee the security of all the civilian population throughout the country, and to refrain from taking any action that could jeopardise the return of refugees and the process of national reconciliation;

7. Calls on the Member States of the European Union which have permanent seats on the United Nations Security Council to promote the adoption there of the measures needed to stop the massacres in Rwanda;

8. Urges the Security Council to protect the return of the refugees to their places of origin;

9. Urges ECHO to take on a strategic role in coordinating, with NGOs and international organizations, humanitarian aid to the countries in the area, in particular the refugee camps in Zaire, Rwanda and Burundi;

10. Calls on the Commission to offer urgent help in restoring the legal system and improving conditions of imprisonment;

11. Urges the Commission to assemble the aid promised to the Rwandan Government and insists that humanitarian aid and help in reconstruction should not be reduced or suspended;

12. Believes firmly that, in order to observe the spirit of the Arusha accords and secure the involvement of all democratic forces in Rwandan society, a 'regional conference for peace, security, and stability' should be held, as called for by the United Nations Security Council and proposed by the Council of the European Union and the European Commission, and calls on the governments of Rwanda and the other countries of the Great Lakes region to seize the opportunity;

13. Calls on the Council to honour its commitments towards all the countries in the region and to report to the European Parliament on the action taken in response to its resolutions;

14. Instructs its President to forward this resolution, as a matter of urgency, to the Council, the Commission, the governments and parliaments of the Member States, the Government of Rwanda, the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the President of the United Nations Security Council, the Secretary-General of the OAU and the Co-Presidents of the ACP/EU Joint Assembly.