[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 76 (Thursday, June 16, 1994)]
[Senate]
[Page S]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




   WHAT THE UNITED STATES CAN DO TO IMPROVE THE PRESENT SITUATION IN 
                                 RWANDA

  Mr. DURENBERGER. Mr. President, I rise again today to emphasize the 
continuing need to take steps to assist the peacekeeping efforts of the 
United Nations--and to reduce the suffering in Rwanda and the 
neighboring countries of Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi to which 
thousands of refugees have fled.
  My good friend Congressman Tony Hall has just returned from visiting 
the refugee camp known as Benaco located in Tanzania. This camp 
presently acts as a temporary home for over 275,000 refugees of which 
more than 70,000 are children under the age of 5.
  By official count, 2,000 new refugees are arriving every day. 
Congressman Hall observed 3,000 to 4,000 refugees waiting to be 
processed.
  The food supply was inadequate. There was only one day's food supply 
on hand. A sudden, dramatic increase of refugees could readily 
overwhelm the camp's capacity and exhaust its food supply.
  Congressman Hall also visited the now famous bridge between Rwanda 
and Tanzania. The river that flows beneath this bridge was filled with 
human corpses, a tragic reminder of the slaughter in Rwanda that has 
gone unabated for too long.
  The administration should stop talking about providing assistance to 
the people of Rwanda, and take action--to improve the situation on the 
ground, to assist in the humanitarian efforts to preserve life, and to 
give hope to those who are the victims of the genocide and military 
conflict that still ravage that country.
  Our present inaction as a nation is the direct result of the 
leadership vacuum that exists at the White House and that is mirrored 
at the Department of State and at the National Security Council.
  An example of the administration's present ineptitude in dealing with 
foreign policy issues--really with issues of basic human needs--is the 
extended negotiations that have ensued over providing 50 armored 
personnel carriers requested by the United Nations to protect 
peacekeeping forces from African nations.
  While the number of killed and wounded has increased every day in 
Rwanda, the United States and the United Nations have been negotiating 
for weeks over the kind of vehicles that would be provided, and the 
terms--buy or lease--under which the vehicles would be supplied.
  Such disregard for human suffering cannot be explained merely on the 
basis of ineptitude. The administration's present handling of the 
Rwanda situation points to a more basic flaw--a timidity in taking a 
leadership role for fear that any action that is taken will fail.
  Despite the administration's hesitancy to act--and to act in an 
expeditious manner--the time to act is still now.
  The United States should provide humanitarian assistance to those 
refugees that have fled to the neighboring nations--principally to 
Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi.
  Such humanitarian assistance should include food, shelter, 
sanitation, and medical care. This could be provided by an agency of 
the United States, by an international organization such as the United 
Nations or the Organization of African Unity, or by a nongovernmental 
organization under a contract.
  The President has pledged $15 million to the United Nations' fund for 
refugees to assist in Rwanda. However, this is certainly a small 
portion of the amount needed to help the thousands of people that have 
fled Rwanda.
  In addition to providing humanitarian assistance, the United States 
should--through diplomacy--make sure that the borders of the 
neighboring countries of Uganda, Tanzania, and Zaire are open, and that 
anyone who is able to get to the border will be able to find safety and 
will not be turned back.
  The United Nations Security Council last month authorized a 5,500-man 
force to establish safe zones within Rwanda where relief from the 
fighting may be sought, but the all-African force will not be available 
until the end of June. Well over 200,000 people have already been 
slaughtered needlessly. More will be killed before the new African 
troops arrive in Rwanda.
  The United States should have been there to provide the leadership to 
establish the safe zones weeks ago, yet we are still talking about it 
long after the Security Council's authorization.
  The United States should be willing to provide logistic support for 
those African troops who participate as a part of the peacekeeping 
force, including food and equipment, but not arms and ammunition, and 
some portion of the out-of-pocket expenses.
  However, a force that has never trained together or used the same 
equipment needs help. We should provide the needed training. But such 
assistance should not be open-ended. It should be for a specific period 
of time.
  The United States should itself, or through the United Nations or the 
Organization of African Unity, push for a lasting cease-fire. Though 
this may take a great deal of persuasion, the degree of difficulty of 
the task should not deter us from doing what is moral and right--that 
is to end the killing permanently.
  The United States should also exert its leadership, if possible in 
conjunction with the United Nations and the Organization of African 
Unity, to reinstate the Arusha accords and to create an interim 
coalition government that will be respected by a majority of the Hutus 
and the Tutsis.
  The churches in Rwanda should take a larger role in reconciling the 
differences between the warring factors. I find it shocking that a 
country that is more than 70 percent Christian can be the scene of a 
genocide where more than 200,000 people have been slaughtered. Much 
more can be done in this area.
  In the long term, there must be a plan for the reconstruction of 
Rwanda and the permanent reconciliation of tribal differences. In this 
regard, the United States has to be a good listener and back a plan 
that fits the needs of the people of Rwanda and has a chance of 
succeeding.
  In our focus on Rwanda, we should not forget the fragile situation 
that exists in the neighboring country of Burundi which is divided by 
the same tribal differences as Rwanda.
  What is the plan now for Burundi? Do we have a game plan for Burundi 
that will prevent the genocide that occurred in Rwanda? If we pursue 
our present course of indecision and leader-less foreign policy, it is 
only a question of when--not if--the present genocide in Rwanda will 
spread to Burundi.
  We should take steps now to prevent the renewal of fighting in 
Burundi--to prevent a genocide in that country--rather than react to a 
crisis after it occurs.
  I have written a letter to the President of the United States 
outlining constructive steps that the United States can take to improve 
the situation in Rwanda and to provide relief to the thousands of 
refugees. I look forward to his response.
  Mr. President, I yield the floor--and ask that the contents of the 
letter to the President be made a part of my statement here today.


                                                  U.S. SENATE,

                                     Washington, DC, June 8, 1994.
     The President,
     The White House,
     Washington, DC.
       Dear Mr. President: Even at this late date there is a 
     continuing and pressing need to take immediate steps to aid 
     those who are the innocent victims of the genocidal acts that 
     have resulted in over 100,000 people being massacred in 
     Rwanda. There still remains those in Rwanda in fear of bodily 
     harm because of their tribal affiliation or their political 
     views in favor of moderation and reconciliation between the 
     Hutu and Tutsi tribes.
       Thousands of refugees have fled the fighting and terror 
     within Rwanda and have sought safety in neighboring 
     countries, principally Uganda, Tanzania and Burundi. These 
     refugees, as well as those who remain within Rwanda, are in 
     desperate need of medical assistance and the basic 
     necessities of life. The continuing rumors of a cease-fire 
     between the armed forces of the present government of Rwanda 
     and the Rwanda Patriotic Front does not change the urgent 
     need of those who are the innocent victims of genocide and 
     war.
       The gravity of the situation requires that immediate action 
     be taken to end the present genocide, to protect and to 
     provide humanitarian assistance to those victims of the 
     present violence, and to ensure that the present government 
     never receives diplomatic recognition. To this end, I urge 
     that the following actions be taken immediately:
       First, the United States should support an immediate 
     deployment of a regional force, comprised of troops from 
     African nations, as a part of the United Nations Assistance 
     Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) operations or under the auspices 
     of the Organization of African Unity, to protect civilians in 
     Rwanda, to create temporary safe zones for civilians, and to 
     establish protected corridors for the safety and speedy 
     delivery of humanitarian relief.
       Second, the recent offer by fourteen African nations to 
     send troops to Rwanda in an effort to end the present 
     conflict should be encouraged and should receive the full 
     support of the United States.
       Third, the United States should provide logistic support, 
     including equipment and supplies (but not arms and 
     ammunition) as may be needed by any regional force, but 
     United States troops should not participate directly in the 
     peacekeeping effort.
       Fourth, the United States and other nations within the 
     international community should themselves, or through 
     organizations such as the United Nations and the Organization 
     of African Unity, continue to provide humanitarian 
     assistance, including food, clothing, sanitation, shelter and 
     medical care, to the thousands of victims of the present 
     conflict.
       Fifth, the United States should vigorously continue its 
     efforts to facilitate negotiations among the United Nations, 
     the Organization of African Unity, the Rwanda Patriotic 
     Front, and other involved parties to reach a lasting cease-
     fire based upon the Arusha Accords.
       Sixth, the United States should denounce in the strongest 
     possible terms the extremist government formed in the 
     aftermath of The President's death, and to issue publicly a 
     clear warning that no government which has been implicated in 
     the killings would ever receive any U.S. financial assistance 
     or diplomatic recognition. I encourage you to isolate any 
     illegitimate government in Rwanda.
       Seventh, the United States should work closely with human 
     rights and religious organizations to identify and condemn 
     those officials responsible for perpetrating these brutal 
     attacks. These individuals should be brought to justice and 
     they should not be recognized as legitimate leaders of 
     Rwanda.
       Eighth, finally, the United States should, in its contracts 
     with the Rwanda Patriotic Front, encourage them to exercise 
     restraint and to cooperate with human rights workers.
       While unfortunately there is no easy solution to the 
     genocide in Rwanda, I believe that these steps will lend to a 
     clear, strong and pro-active U.S. policy on this grave 
     situation.
           Sincerely,
                                                 Dave Durenberger,
                                                     U.S. Senator.
  There being no objection, the letter was ordered to be printed in the 
Record, as follows:

                          ____________________