[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 117 (Thursday, August 18, 1994)]
[House]
[Page H]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]


[Congressional Record: August 18, 1994]
From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]

 
                 BURUNDI THREATENED WITH MASS GENOCIDE

  (Mr. WOLF asked and was given permission to address the House for 1 
minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. WOLF. Mr. Speaker, I want to speak about Burundi, but before I 
do, let me just say that Ken Starr, who has been appointed special 
prosecutor, is a good friend of mine, and he is one of the most honest, 
decent, ethical, and moral men I think I have ever seen in this city. 
He is somebody that we have on both sides shown a lot of confidence in.
  Mr. Speaker, the lessons of Rwanda are clear. Quick action by the 
international community could have prevented mass slaughter in Rwanda. 
It could have saved thousands of lives and millions of dollars in 
humanitarian assistance. Let us not let another chance to pre-empt 
genocide in Burundi slip away.
  We had reports in June from missionary groups in Burundi that the 
potential for massive bloodshed was there. The same Tutsi factions 
responsible for the death of 20,000 Hutus last fall have plans to get 
rid of any Hutu leaders who stands in the way of assuming full control 
of the government. Trouble is brewing and tensions are rising. On 
Tuesday, the New York Times reported that the United Nations, CARE, 
Doctors without Borders, and other remaining relief organizations have 
all pulled their people out over the weekend.
  The interim President set an August 26 deadline for naming a new 
President and forming a new coalition government after missing a 
constitutionally mandated July 12 deadline. Last weekend the factional 
leaders snubbed a United Nations proposal to send in a peacekeeping 
force and international monitors to calm the tensions. The United 
States should be helping bring the sides together.
  If this deadline goes by without reconciliation we could be looking 
at mass chaos. There is a small window of opportunity here to be 
peacemakers, rather than crisis managers.
  Please understand that I am not talking about sending in American 
troops, only American diplomats. Maybe Secretary Christopher should go 
over to help broker peace. Maybe we should send a special envoy. All I 
know is that we should do something now to prevent another humanitarian 
disaster. Let us not sit on our hands. And watch many more men, women, 
and children be brutally killed.

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