VZCZCXYZ0006
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLGB #0611/01 1831130
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 021130Z JUL 07
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 4357
INFO RUEHJB/AMEMBASSY BUJUMBURA 0091
RUEHDR/AMEMBASSY DAR ES SALAAM 0900
RUEHKM/AMEMBASSY KAMPALA 1636
RUEHKI/AMEMBASSY KINSHASA 0238
RUEHNR/AMEMBASSY NAIROBI 0909
RUEHFR/AMEMBASSY PARIS 0263

UNCLAS KIGALI 000611 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: ETRD PHUM PREL RW
SUBJECT: GOR ON GACACA, LEGAL CASES INVOLVING FRANCE, EAST 
AFRICAN COMMUNITY, REFUGEES 
 
REF: A. KIGALI 599 
     ¶B. KIGALI 547 
 
¶1.  (U) Summary.  The GOR briefed the diplomatic community on 
June 28, announcing several initiatives to alleviate crowded 
prison conditions, hailing Rwanda's entry into the East 
African Community (EAC), noting efforts to secure return of a 
genocide suspect from France, and denying reports of 
recruiting in refugee camps in Rwanda.  End summary. 
 
¶2.  (U)   Justice Minister Tharcisse Karugarama announced 
that, to alleviate crowding in Rwanda's prisons, henceforward 
all persons convicted by gacaca courts would serve their TIG 
(community service) and suspended portions of their sentences 
first (as previewed in reftel A).  "No one with any form of 
TIG or suspended punishment will be heading for prison," he 
said. Further, he said, the GOR would conduct new releases of 
genocide suspects in September and December of this year. 
"We will reduce the size of the prison population."  He gave 
no estimates of the size of the intended releases. 
 
¶3. (U) The Minister also reviewed the status of Rwanda's 
attempts to secure custody of genocide suspect Isaac Kamali, 
denied entry into the U.S, and arrested upon his return to 
Paris.  The Minister stated that the GOR was "sending the 
case file to France," with the hope that either France would 
either extradite the suspect or prosecute him there.  "We are 
following events closely," he said.  He declined to speculate 
on how working with the French government might improve 
relations between the two nations. 
 
¶4.  (U) Karugarama then addressed the GOR's attempts to 
litigate before the International Court of Justice the French 
judge Brugiere's issuance of arrest warrants for nine senior 
Rwandan officials. "France has yet to respond to our 
application," said.  "They have never answered our 
complaint."  (Note: the ICG specifically commented, upon 
receipt of the GOR application to the court, that 
jurisdiction was voluntary, and France must agree to the case 
being heard before the court). 
 
¶5.  (U) Foreign Affairs Minister of State Rosemary Museminali 
made general remarks on Rwanda's formal entry into the East 
African Community, noting that the GOR would deposit its 
instrument of accession on July 2 in Arusha.  While several 
other EAC economies were "more robust," Rwanda would find 
both "challenges and opportunities" in competition with those 
more developed economies.   She sketched out the general 
framework for the EAC member states, passing in negotiated 
stages from a Customs Union to a Common Market to a Monetary 
Union.  Along the way, she said, Rwanda would have to 
"harmonize" its budget system with other EAC nations, and 
also adopt standard taxation and tariff schemes.  On July 10, 
she indicated, the GOR would host a roundtable with the 
Rwandan private sector to discuss the full range of EAC 
issues. 
 
¶6.  (U) Finally, Local Government Minister of State Nyatani 
issued a press release denying reports of Congolese negative 
forces recruiting from refugee camps in Rwandan.  Repeating 
language in the press release, she said such reports were 
"baseless and without truth."  In answer to a question from a 
western ambassador, inquiring about reports of recruiting by 
a Congolese NGO associated with General Laurent Nkunda, she 
said any such efforts by the NGO would be "clandestine." 
 
¶7.  (SBU) Comment.  Assuming the new procedures regarding 
gacaca convictions are applied immediately, the rising tide 
of convicts crowding into Rwanda's 16 prisons should level 
off -- although it bears noting that gacaca suspects who do 
not confess at some stage of the proceedings do not benefit 
from TIG or suspended sentences, and so will continue to be 
sent to prison.  Those inclined to confess will now see even 
greater benefit -- immediate release, with custodial 
sentences to be served at a future date.  The nation's 
prisons will still be faced with very difficult conditions at 
present levels of occupancy; the September and December 
releases will need to be substantial to secure a real 
reduction in terribly crowded conditions. 
 
¶8.  (SBU) Comment continued. The Justice Minister's calm 
review of both the ICJ case and of the Kamali arrest (which 
entailed no criticism of USG actions) are reflective of his 
professionalism and faith in judicial procedures.  Minister 
of State Museminali's comments on Rwanda's entry into the EAC 
were at once realistic and possessed of optimism -- Rwanda 
would face important challenges, but would benefit from the 
new regional body.  Minister of State Nyatani's comments were 
less convincing, her flat denials of recruiting belied by 
several documented reports (reftel B). 
 
 
 
ARIETTI