SOUTH AFRICA: RWANDAN AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH AFRICA, BEN KARENZI CALLS ON SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT TO INVESTIGATE REPORTS THAT STATE OWNED AGENCY ARMSCOR SOLD WEAPONS TO GUERILLAS IN RWANDA.

Record ID: 285953

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: RWANDAN AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH AFRICA, BEN KARENZI CALLS ON SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT TO INVESTIGATE REPORTS THAT STATE OWNED AGENCY ARMSCOR SOLD WEAPONS TO GUERILLAS IN RWANDA.
  • Date: 31st May 1995
  • Summary: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (MAY 31, 1995) (RTV - ACCESS ALL) 1. GV NEWS CONFERENCE BY RWANDAN AMBASSADOR TO SOUTH AFRICA, BEN KARENZI 0.07 2. MCU KARENZI TALKING ABOUT ALLEGED SMUGGLING OF ARMS INTO RWANDA(ENGLISH)/MEDIA CUTTERWAY (4 SHOTS) 1.46 SEQ.2: TRANSCRIPT; KARENZI: "IN REPONSE OF THE RWANDAN GOVERNMENT TO THE REPORT BY HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH BASED IN NEWYORK IMPLICATING SEVERAL STATES INCLUDING SOUTH AFRICA IN THE CONTINUED REARMOURMENT OF THE MILITIAS AND THE CRIMINALS OF GENOCIDE WHO ARE MAINLY BASED IN ZAIRE. WE VIEWED THIS WITH UPMOST CONCERN, AND WE HAVE OFFICIALLY LAUNCHED A LETTER TO THE GOVERNMENT OF SOUTH AFRICA REQUESTING THAT AN OFFICIAL INVESTIGATION BE LAUNCHED TO FOLLOW UP THE ALLEGATIONS THAT ARE IN THIS REPORT. WE DON'T TAKE IT LIGHTLY BECAUSE WE KNOW THAT THE MILITIA ARE BEING REARMED. WE HAVE THE EVIDENCE, THE HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH CARRIED OUT A FOUR MONTH THOROUGH INVESTIGATION, THIS IS NOT AN ISSUE THAT YOU CAN JUST THROW AWAY. WE HOPE THAT THE SOUTH AFRICAN GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE THIS ISSUE SERIOUSLY AND ALSO CARRY OUT ITS OWN INDEPENDANT INQUIRY INTO THESE AFFAIRS." Initials Script is copyright Reuters Limited. All rights reserved.
  • Embargoed: 15th June 1995 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA
  • City:
  • Country: South Africa
  • Reuters ID: LVA4G9L524O0ZL1WH6BSB15DRS1S
  • Story Text: The South African government on Wednesday (May 31) ordered an investigation into reports that state-owned arms procurement agency Armscor illegally sold weapons to guerrillas in Rwanda.

    Cabinet Secretary Jakes Gerwel said the cabinet had asked Defence Minister Joe Modise to investigate allegations by United States human rights organisation Human Rights Watch.

    Human Rights Watch alleges that South Africa was one of several countries helping Rwanda's former army -- which fled the country after the former government was overthrown last July -- to rebuild its military infrastructure.

    The Cabinet Secretary's announcement came after Rwanda's newly appointed ambassador to South Africa urged the Pretoria government to carry out an independent inquiry into the smuggling of arms in Rwanda.

    "We are hoping South Africa will carry out its own independent inquiry into these affairs. We, the Rwandan government...know the militias...particularly in Zaire, are being re-armed," ambassador Ben Karenzi told reporters in Johannesburg on Wednesday.

    "It's not an issue you can just throw away. We hope South Africa will take this issue seriously," he said.

    The ambassador, who arrived in Pretoria in February, said he would supply South Africa with information from Rwanda about any South African involvement in re-arming militias in Zaire's refugee camps.

    He said he was convinced the new South African government under Mandela would not cover up evidence of any Armscor involvement.

    Armscor said on Tuesday (May 30) South African weapons could have been smuggled to Rwanda and Burundi, in breach of a decision to halt weapons sales to both countries.


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