UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA - AFRICAN STUDIES CENTER
DHA-Geneva Sitrep No. 49

DHA-Geneva Sitrep No. 49

DHA-GENEVA 94/0343

                             RWANDA
                        CIVIL DISTURBANCE
           DHA-GENEVA DAILY INFORMATION REPORT NO. 49
                         10 October 1994
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         Information for this report is provided by the
              UN Rwanda Emergency Office in Kigali
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This sitrep is produced three times every week. The information is compiled from inputs by organizations working in Rwanda including UNICEF, UNDP, WFP, UNHCR, WHO, IOM, UNAMIR, USAID-DART, US-JTF and NGOs.

GENERAL SUMMARY
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A private vehicle went over an anti-tank mine near Byumba on Saturday, 8 October. One person died and three were injured.

UNICEF and the Ministry of Health have conducted a joint assessment of the health situation throughout Rwanda.

FAO reports that in general, the amount of seeds in stock or on the way will be sufficient to cover needs throughout Rwanda.

SECURITY
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A private vehicle went over an anti-tank mine near Byumba on Saturday, 8 October. One person died and three were injured. UNAMIR reported that the road is frequently travelled.

According to UNAMIR, villages in sector 2 (Kibungo Prefecture) are reporting small groups of Interahamwe living amongst them. There are unconfirmed reports that these groups are stealing from locals, are sending out posters and pamphlets threatening that more killings will take place, and are armed with machetes, spears, bows and arrows.

Small numbers of NGOs have moved back into Katale camp, Zaire, on the basis of agreements with camp community leaders on security. Expatriate staff had been evacuated from Katale on 29 September, following continued threats on their lives by the refugees.

The security situation in Tanzanian camps continues to be of concern. Following a visit to Ngara on Saturday, 8 October, UNREO Field Officers based in Kibungo reported that during last week food shortages resulted in riots. WFP confirmed low cereal stocks in Tanzania. Donors have been alerted to food priority needs as well as cash needs to upgrade transport infrastructure to increase food throughout especially to extended delivery points to increase daily food availability at camp level. WFP is now rerouting cereals to Tanzania to address the break in the pipeline. Also in Ngara, former militia are reportedly intimidating refugees wishing to return to Rwanda. These incidents follow mob violence on 29 September, when 20,000 to 30,000 people rioted after the arrest of a former Rwandese official.

REFUGEES AND DISPLACED PERSONS
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UNREO Field Office in Kibungo reported that there are a number of deterrents to repatriation form Tanzania, including: reports that Hutu refugees continue to cross into the Karagwe region from Northeast Rwanda with bullet and machete wounds; a perceived lack of security in Kibungo Prefecture by the international community in Ngara; and reports that 3 to 5 bodies continue to flow down the Kagera River from Rwanda each day.

UNREO Field Officers based in Kibungo also reported that Rwandese influxes into Tanzania from Burundi appear to be increasing. 8,500 persons entered Ngara from Burundi last week and 6,000 entered two weeks previous.

UNHCR reports that the number of spontaneous returnees from Goma, Bukavu and Tanzania has started to pick up again although the total numbers could still be considered as a trickle compared to the population remaining in camps.

HUMAN RIGHTS
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At the meeting for UN/NGOs held at UNREO on 7 October, the Chief of the UN Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda gave an overview of the operation. 27 Human Rights staff are currently in the country and the team will more than double over the next 2 months. The group is carrying out reconnaissance missions to determine the needs for establishing field bases prior to deployment on the ground. The Special Investigation Unit (SIU) within the operation has initiated preliminary work on investigations pursuant to Security Council Resolution 935 (the Resolution requests the Secretary-General to establish an impartial Commission of Experts to examine and analyze information concerning grave violations of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda.)

In a 27 September memorandum to the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, the Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs stated that he is prepared to authorize a 3 million dollar Central Emergency Revolving Fund (CERF) advance to cover start-up costs for the UN Human Rights Field Operation in Rwanda. UNDP recently contributed USD 245,000 towards the recruitment of personnel for the Human Rights Monitoring programme. USAID has pledged USD 750,000.

US Disaster Assistance Relief Team (DART) reported that a USAID/Department of State delegation travelled to Kigali last week to determine how the US Government can assist the UN Human Rights programme in Rwanda.

In his speech last week to the UN Security Council in New York, the President of Rwanda appealed to the UN for a tribunal for those who committed genocide in Rwanda during the war.

WATER AND SANITATION
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UNDP Kigali will assess water resources throughout Rwanda. The assessment, due to begin shortly, will take approximately 2 months to complete.

UNREO Field Office in Cyangugu reports that IRC will receive water from a UNHCR tanker to supply Nyagatare transit station and two Medecins du Monde (MDM) work sites, Cyimbogo camp and Ituze hospital.

HEALTH
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UNICEF and the Ministry of Health have conducted a joint assessment of the health situation throughout Rwanda. The 9 October UNICEF health situation report summarized the trip's findings and provided information on health contacts, operating NGOs, functioning health facilities, health activities and constraints, epidemiological status, Expanded Programme of Immunization (EPI), health education needs, and water and sanitation status for nine prefectures. In six out of ten prefectures, a Regional Health Director has been appointed and has begun coordinating health activities in the region. The report also stated that basic curative health care is available at approximately 125 sites in the nine prefectures outside of Kigali.

UNICEF will produce regular national morbidity/mortality reports based on bi-weekly information to be collected from a health information contact person in each prefecture.

The Ministry of Health and UNICEF will be coordinating nutrition activities in Rwanda. A meeting is scheduled for Wednesday, 12 October. UNICEF reports that a number of UN Agencies and NGOs are actively involved in supplementary/therapeutic feeding programmes and growth monitoring. Although precise data were not available on the nutritional status of the country as a whole, the report did say that malnutrition was cited as a concern by health workers in six prefectures.

At the health coordination meeting held 7 October at UNICEF, the Ministry of Health requested that NGOs inform the Ministry before launching any vaccination campaign.

At the same meeting, MSF asked the Ministry of Health and UNICEF to assist them in following and confirming reported cases of meningitis. The representative from the Ministry agreed to meet with MSF to discuss the establishment of a team for this purpose.

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE
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At the weekly seeds meeting, FAO reported that in general, the amount of seeds in stock or on the way will be sufficient to cover needs throughout Rwanda. As of 1 October, 3,885 MTs of seed and 264,090 hoes had been distributed. A more detailed overview of the seed and tool situation in Rwanda (including maps and charts) was made available at the meeting. Despite sufficient supply, transporting seeds before the deadline appears to be the main problem for many NGOs (see TRANSPORT).

TRANSPORT
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In order to better coordinate the transport capacity of UNAMIR, UNHCR/IOM and WFP, the WFP Transport Coordination Unit (TCU) has established a truck tracking and monitoring system, and also has an information bulletin board available at their offices.

At the weekly seeds meeting held 9 October, a number of NGOs said that transporting supplies into Rwanda from the Ugandan border has proved difficult. The Chief of Cabinet for Minister of Agriculture discussed the issue with a representative of the Ugandan Government. He was told that there had been no change in document requirements, however, inspection of documents by Ugandan officials is becoming increasingly thorough.

OTHER INFORMATION
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The Special Representative of the Secretary-General (SRSG) met with the UNDP Resident Representative to discuss the prospects for international financial assistance to the government, and in particular, the Round Table Conference which will be organized by the Government with the assistance of UNDP.

The SRSG also met on 6 October with an Irish delegation headed by the Under-Secretary in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, to prepare for the upcoming visit of the President of Ireland on 15 October.

At the weekly seeds meeting on 9 October it was reported that the one per cent airport cargo handling fee being charged by Magerwa will be calculated based on the 6 April exchange rate of 144 Rwandese Francs to 1 US dollar.

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DEPARTMENT OF HUMANITARIAN AFFAIRS - GENEVA
 
DHA Contacts: Deborah Saidy and Michael Gaouette
Direct Telephone: 788.7020 / 788.7019
IN CASE OF EMERGENCY ONLY - Telephone: (41 22)917.2010
Press to contact: Ms Mounira Skandrani
Ms Skandrani Direct Telephone: (41 22) 917.3114
Telex: 414242 DHA CH
Fax: (41 22) 917 0023
Electronic Mail: DIALCOM 141 : DHAGVA

From: "Arthur R. McGee" 
---------- Forwarded message ----------
Date: Mon, 10 Oct 94 09:55:18 -0700
From: CMONTENE%UNICC.BITNET@CEARN.cern.ch
Subject: DHA-GENEVA SITREP VIA ELECTRONIC MAIL

Editor: Ali B. Ali-Dinar

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