ITALY/RWANDA: HUTU REBELS SAY THEY ARE READY TO LAY DOWN ARMS AND CONDEMN 1994 GENOCIDE OF TUTSIS.
Record ID:
899203
ITALY/RWANDA: HUTU REBELS SAY THEY ARE READY TO LAY DOWN ARMS AND CONDEMN 1994 GENOCIDE OF TUTSIS.
- Title: ITALY/RWANDA: HUTU REBELS SAY THEY ARE READY TO LAY DOWN ARMS AND CONDEMN 1994 GENOCIDE OF TUTSIS.
- Date: 31st March 2005
- Summary: (BN10) ROME, ITALY (MARCH 31, 2005) (REUTERS) GV/MV/PAN: MEMBERS OF FDLR (DEMOCRATIC FORCES FOR THE LIBERATION OF RWANDA) GATHERING IN GARDEN OUTSIDE SANTEGIDIO COMMUNITY (4 SHOTS) MV: JOURNALISTS WAITING FOR NEWS CONFERENCE (SOUNDBITE) (French) IGNACE MURWANASHYAKA, PRESIDENT OF THE DEMOCRATIC FORCES FOR THE LIBERATION OF RWANDA (FDLR), READING A STATEMENT, SAYING: "In front of God, history and the Rwandan people, we solemnly declare: One, the FDLR commits itself to stop the armed struggle. The FDLR decides to transform from now on their struggle into a political one. As complimentary measures will be applied, the FDLR accepts the voluntary disarmament and the peaceful return of their forces to Rwanda. But from now on, the FDLR announces that it will abstain from all offensive operations against Rwanda. Two, the FDLR condemns the genocide that was committed in Rwanda and its authors. It commits itself to fight against all ideologies of ethnic hatred and renews its engagement to cooperate with international justice." MV/GV: JOURNALISTS SEATED AT NEWS CONFERENCE (2 SHOTS) (SOUNDBITE) (French) MURWANASHYAKA SAYING: "The FDLR condemns the terrorism and the other crimes against international law committed in the regions of the Great Lakes. And to underline their firm will to fight against all forms of impunity, the FDLR demands the quick opening of an international inquiry to qualify these crimes, identify and punish their perpetrators." CU/PAN: MURWANASHYAKA HOLDING STATEMENT GV: FDLR MEMBERS LEAVING
- Embargoed: 29th April 2014 01:42
- Keywords:
- Location: ROME, ITALY / KIGALI, RWANDA
- City:
- Country: Rwanda
- Topics: Conflict,General
- Reuters ID: LVABKX0FBP04XWUO6YLIGBJVL7EI
- Aspect Ratio: 4:3
- Story Text: Rwandan Hutu rebels announce they are ready to lay
down their arms and condemn 1994 genocide of Tutsis.
A Rwandan Hutu rebel group denounced the 1994
genocide in their country and said on Thursday (March 31)
they would halt military operations against Rwanda to help
ease the catastrophic humanitarian crisis in the region.
A delegation representing the rebel organisation, the
Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), made
the announcement in Rome after two days of talks at the
SantEgidio religious community.
"The FDLR commits itself to stop the armed struggle.
The FDLR decides to transform from now on their struggle
into a political one. As complimentary measures will be
applied, the FDLR accepts the voluntary disarmament and the peaceful return of their forces to Rwanda," FDLR President
Ignace Murwanashyaka told a news conference.
"From now on, the FDLR announces that it will abstain
from all offensive operations against Rwanda," he said.
A statement by the group, some of whom travelled from
eastern Congo to Rome, said they recognised the
catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Great Lakes and
were aware of the incredible suffering of men, women and
children in the region.
Murwanashyaka said the FDLR is committed to end the
armed struggle and has decided to transform their armed
struggle into a political one.
The group also called for an international inquiry into
the genocide.
"The FDLR condemns the terrorism and the other crimes
against international law committed in the regions of the
Great Lakes. And to underline their firm will to fight
against all forms of impunity, the FDLR demands the quick
opening of an international inquiry to qualify these
crimes, identify and punish their perpetrators,"
Murwanashyaka told reporters.
The declaration was a first from Hutus rebels, accused
of killing 800,000 Rwandan Tutsis and moderate Hutus in a
spasm of violence over 100 days in 1994.
Some FDLR rebels were members of the former Rwandan
army and the notorious Hutu militias, or Interahamwe, which
took part in the genocide.
Rwanda invaded Congo in 1998, ostensibly to hunt down
the Hutus responsible for the killing. The invasion
triggered a wider war in Congo that sucked in six
neighbouring countries and killed millions of people
through hunger and disease.
During the five-year war, the Kinshasa government
backed FDLR as proxy fighters against the Rwandans and
their rebel allies.
In November 2003, FDLR military commander Paul
Rwarakabije surrendered to Rwanda, prompting hopes for the
mass return of FDLR fighters -- regarded as a vital step
towards cementing peace between Rwanda and Congo.
He has said that other hard-line rebel officers were
preventing up to 14,000 fighters from going back. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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