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Exodus from Zaire slows, further sparking debate over relief mission
November 18, 1996
Web posted at: 6:20 p.m. EST (2320 GMT)From Correspondents Christiane Amanpour and Mike Hanna
GISENYI, Rwanda (CNN) -- The exodus of Rwandan refugees from eastern Zaire slowed further Monday, even as a debate began over whether a multinational force for the region was still necessary. Relief agencies, meanwhile, said they would intensify their efforts to assist hundreds of thousands of refugees still stranded in eastern Zaire.
United Nations officials estimate that some 500,000 refugees have crossed from the Mugunga camp near Goma into the Rwandan border town of Gisenyi in the past three days. Hundreds of thousands more are still moving out of the Goma area further inland. Mugunga itself is now largely deserted.
(283 K / 26 sec. AIFF or WAV sound Amanpour says the tide of human wave is ebbing)
The Rwandans' return is widely seen as a boost for plans to ease the refugee crisis. But it has also sparked calls in some quarters to possibly reconsider plans for a multinational force approved last week by the U.N. Security Council.
Canada, which would lead such a mission, says plans must go ahead, although Canadian Defense Minister Doug Young said Monday the planned military force could be scaled back to simple humanitarian relief units.
France, the first country to call for outside intervention, also agrees a full mission is necessary. The European Union's aid commissioner, Emma Bonino, echoes those sentiments, saying refugees are at risk.
But other countries, including the United States, are hinting that they could drop out of the relief mission. Washington has long been lukewarm to the idea of outside intervention. And Monday the U.S. military announced that a meeting in Germany of countries participating in the force has now been postponed to Thursday, a day later than originally planned.
Many Hutu refugees, meanwhile, are finding it difficult to reclaim the homes they abandoned more than two years ago. The refugees fled Rwanda following the 1994 Hutu-led genocide of ethnic Tutsis. Their homes were then taken over by Tutsi civilians and militia, who are now refusing to leave. There are reports that some returning Hutus have been killed in property disputes, or by Rwanda's Tutsi-led army.
The Rwandan government denies that, but admits it needs help to resettle the Hutus. Kigali is calling on the international community to provide the Hutus with the means to build new homes and farms, to enable them to begin a new life.
Even as thousands of Rwandans continue to return home, yet others -- perhaps as many as 800,000 -- remain in Eastern Zaire. Most of them are believed to be stranded at makeshift camps near Lake Kivu, or in the mountains and hills surrounding Bukavu and adjoining towns. Relief agencies say they will attempt to reach these refugees this week if possible. Making an already chaotic situation more confusing is the plight of thousands of Zairian civilians, who fled their homes in Goma and other areas when Zairian Tutsi rebels launched their offensive several weeks ago.
The rebels, who control much of eastern Zaire, have vowed to battle Zairian forces all the way to the capital, Kinshasa, in an effort to topple the government of Mobuto Sese Seko, the country's ailing president.
Mobuto has welcomed the possibility of multinational troops intervening to ease the refugee crisis. But many observers say the president's role in his nation's affairs has been seriously diluted. He currently remains at his villa in the south of France, recovering from treatment for prostate cancer. On Monday, Mobuto was dealt another blow when Switzerland refused to grant him a visa to return to Lausanne for follow-up treatment. Mobuto, who has ruled Zaire for decades, is believed to have hoarded billions of dollars in Swiss bank accounts.
Related stories:
- Rwandan refugee flow heavy, but slowing - November 17, 1996
- Refugee tide into Rwanda overwhelms aid workers - November 17, 1996
- Exodus prompts U.S. to rethink aid mission - November 16, 1996
- Image Gallery - Zaire: the long trek home - November 16, 1996
- 'An unstoppable wall of people' - November 16, 1996
- Rwandan refugees streaming back to their homeland - November 15, 1996
- Return of refugees encourages attendees of food conference - November 15, 1996
Related sites:
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- The Care Organization
- American Red Cross: Crisis in Eastern Zaire
- Zaire Watch
- U.N. High Commissioner for Refugees
- Rwanda Page
- City.Net:Zaire
External sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
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