- Title: RWANDA: GOVERNMENT TROOPS TAKE CONTROL OF IWAWA ISLAND FROM HUTU MILITANTS
- Date: 8th November 1995
- Summary: IWAWA ISLAND, LAKE KIVU, RWANDA (NOVEMBER 8, 1995) (RTV - NO ACCESS BELGIUM) 1. GV ISLAND SEEN FROM BOAT ON LAKE 0.04 2. SV RWANDA PATRIOTIC ARMY (RPA) SOLDIERS IN SPEED BOAT 0.06 3. TRACK VIEW FROM SPEEDING BOAT 0.09 4. SLV WRECK OF BANANA BOAT ON LAKE, MAN SEEN IN WATER 0.24 5. SV RPA SOLDIER WITH MACHINE GUN FIRES/AT BOAT (4 SHOTS)0.42 6. SLV BUILDINGS WITH RPA SOLDIERS STANDING AROUND 0.45 7. SV/VARIOUS DEAD BODIES OF HUTU MILITIA IN UNIFORM LYING ON GROUND/ BUNKERS AND MACHINE GUN PITS/ BODY IN WATER/BODY TAKEN AWAY (8 SHOTS)1.24 8. SLV/ SV BODIES NEAR MACHINE GUN PIT/ BODIES IN WOOD (5 SHOTS) 1.46 9. SLV SOLDIER SITS IN FIELD 1.49 10. SLV BANANA PLANTATION, BODY IN PLANTATION WITH THROAT CUT 1.53 11. SLV/CU PRISONERS (3 SHOTS) 2.11 12. SLV/SV UNITED NATIONS ASSISTANT MISSION IN RWANDA (UNAMIR) OBSERVERS LOOKING AT GUNS LAID OUT IN ROWS ON GROUND (3 SHOTS) 2.30 Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
- Embargoed: 23rd November 1995 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: IWAWA ISLAND, LAKE KIVU, RWANDA
- City:
- Country: Rwanda
- Reuters ID: LVA64CXZVQWN1OJW7EF1IFF6FTAI
- Story Text: Rwanda's government army killed about 300 former Rwandan troops and militiamen on an island near Zaire's border earlier this week in their biggest blow to rebel Hutu forces, it emerged on Wednesday (November 8).
Amphibious Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA) troops stormed Iwawa island on Lake Kivu on Saturday night (November 4) and fought with Hutu militants before overrunning the island on Monday night.
A spokesman for the Rwandan defence ministry said the fighting went on for two days because the Hutu forces were heavily dug in and the terrain was in their favour. They had also booby-trapped many routes on the island.
The spokesman said indications were that the enemy lost as many as 300 - most were killed on the island during the assault, others were killed trying to flee, others drowned.
Five RPA soldiers were killed and some wounded.
The RPA is dominated by Rwanda's Tutsi minority and seized power in July last year after the genocide of up to one million Tutsis and Hutu moderates by Hutu troops, militiamen and mobs.
The state-run Rwandan Press Agency (ARP) quoted military sources on Iwawa as saying more than 300 Hutu former government soldiers and militiamen were killed and said its correspondent had counted a total of 54 bodies on land and 87 in the water.
The sources said it was by far the biggest enemy concentration RPA troops had found and was an indication of the rebel build-up.
They said heavy machine guns, anti-tank cannons and anti-aircraft guns were captured on Iwawa, 15 km (10 miles) from mainland Rwanda. He said many of the weapons were brand new and had not yet been assembled.
Miltary sources also claimed there were between 500 and 600 former Rwandan troops and militiamen based on the island, from where Hutu militants had launched hit-and-run raids into Rwanda in recent months.
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