VZCZCXYZ0009
PP RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLGB #0428 1951522
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
P 141522Z JUL 09
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC PRIORITY 6186

UNCLAS KIGALI 000428 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR DRL/MLGA KRISTEN MCGEENY 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PREL PHUM RW
SUBJECT: RWANDA: INITIATIVES TO COUNTER TORTURE 
 
REF: STATE 070129 
 
¶1.  (SBU) Responding to reftel, in years past allegations of 
abuse and torture centered on Rwandan prisons and police 
stations.  As recorded in our recent Human Rights Reports for 
Rwanda, the Rwandan prison service and Rwanda National Police 
(RNP) have made great strides in eliminating mistreatment of 
prisoners and detainees.  Local human rights organizations 
such as FACT Rwanda have worked with the police and the 
prisons on abuse cases, and offered extensive training on 
torture and abuse issues.  The local ICRC office gives both 
institutions high marks for professionalizing its treatment 
of those under custody, and for greatly reducing the 
incidence of mistreatment.  The Rwanda Defence Forces (RDF) 
maintain a much smaller prison and military justice detention 
system; it, too, has greatly improved and professionalized 
its treatment of those in custody.  All infantry battalions 
deployed to UNAMID in Darfur undergo USG ACOTA-supervised 
training programs, which include components on the law of war 
and international humanitarian law.  The ICRC has its own 
program on international humanitarian law which it conducts 
with RDF peace-keeping battalions.  The National Human Rights 
Commission has general responsibility within the government 
to monitor the implementation and observance of various human 
rights obligations under the Rwandan constitution as well as 
international treaties and conventions. 
 
¶2.  (SBU)  There is as yet no specific anti-torture mechanism 
in place, as required by the Convention Against Torture 
(CAT).  Rwanda has also been somewhat dilatory in meeting its 
reporting requirements under the CAT.  As Rwanda ratified the 
CAT on December 15, 2008, it has until next December 15 to 
put such a mechanism in place. 
 
 
SYMINGTON