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Viewing cable 06KIGALI411, Ambassador Urges GOR to Publicly Respond to

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Reference ID Created Released Classification Origin
06KIGALI411 2006-05-02 14:56 2011-08-24 00:00 UNCLASSIFIED//FOR OFFICIAL USE ONLY Embassy Kigali
VZCZCXYZ0001
RR RUEHWEB

DE RUEHLGB #0411/01 1221456
ZNR UUUUU ZZH
R 021456Z MAY 06
FM AMEMBASSY KIGALI
TO SECSTATE WASHDC 2694
UNCLAS KIGALI 000411 
 
SIPDIS 
 
SENSITIVE 
SIPDIS 
 
DEPT FOR AF/C and DRL 
 
E.O. 12958: N/A 
TAGS: PGOV KDEM PHUM KJUS RW
SUBJECT:  Ambassador Urges GOR to Publicly Respond to 
Security Incidents 
 
REF: A. KIGALI 291 
 
     B. KIGALI 181 
 
This is sensitive but unclassified.  Please protect 
accordingly. 
 
1. (U) Summary:  Ambassador met April 21 with the recently 
appointed Minister of Internal Security to discuss bilateral 
cooperation on security, human rights, and democracy.  He 
urged the Ministry to investigate and publish its findings 
in response to each reported incident of alleged police 
harassment of journalists or seizure of newspapers.  He 
stressed the importance of taking action, publicly 
communicating the GOR response, and criticizing only the 
content of objectionable newspaper articles and radio 
broadcasts rather than personally criticizing the messenger. 
End summary. 
 
Human Rights Dialogue 
--------------------- 
 
2. (U) During an April 21 courtesy call on newly appointed 
Ministry of Internal Security, Sheikh Mussa Fazil 
Harerimana, former Governor of Western Province, Ambassador 
expressed appreciation for the Ministry's cooperation on 
security and raised the topic of human rights and democracy. 
He explained that each year the Department is required by 
Congress to prepare a human rights report on each country, 
and that the Embassy and GOR recently commenced a dialogue 
to discuss human rights issues in Rwanda following the 
public release of the 2005 report (ref A).  (Note: 
Ambassador provided the francophone Minister with an 
official French translation of the 2005 report.  End note.) 
 
3. (U) Noting that Rwanda has many critics, Ambassador 
commented that this dialogue is key to our accurate 
understanding of the situation in Rwanda, which is often 
difficult to ascertain.  He requested the Minister's 
continued support in the dialogue, especially if Internal 
Security Secretary General Mutaboba is selected for the UN 
peacekeeping position to which he has been nominated, and 
offered possible additional USG training assistance.  (Note: 
In February, the FBI trained the Rwandan National Police on 
cybercrime investigation techniques.  Embassy also provided 
to the National Police Commissioner the website to the FBI 
Virtual Academy which offers on-line police training, and 
sent a request to the FBI to reserve slots for Rwandan 
National Police in four courses offered by the academy.  End 
note.) 
 
4. (SBU) Harerimana highlighted the Ministry's good 
relations with, and support from, the U.S., and welcomed the 
opportunity to further enhance cooperation on internal 
security.  On the question of human rights, he said that the 
GOR has provided a response to the USG report, as it did 
last year.  He noted that as a result of the 1994 genocide 
there are many "economic refugees" -- Rwandans who left the 
country for economic reasons, not out of a credible, 
legitimate fear of persecution.  He indicated that the GOR 
has plans to clarify the role of Local Defense Forces and to 
use churches and mosques for more public outreach to the 
community.  He welcomed the opportunity to continue the 
human rights dialogue to clarify the GOR perspective, and 
welcomed further technical assistance on computer security 
and document fraud prevention. 
 
Press Freedom 
------------- 
 
5. (SBU) Ambassador pressed the need for the GOR to not only 
verify each allegation but to publish the results of its 
actions.  He cited the example of the editor of Umuco who 
had alleged that unidentified individuals had broken into 
his house one night after he had published an article 
critical of the GOR.  Reporters Without Borders had 
criticized the government over the incident.  Secretary 
General Mutaboba, however, subsequently had informed the 
Ambassador that an Internal Security investigation found 
insufficient evidence to support the allegations. 
Ambassador explained to Harerimana that Embassy must report 
what NGOs report and that, in the absence of information 
from the GOR, the Embassy will report the NGO view.  He 
stressed the need for the GOR to respond with its own 
account to ensure that the Embassy has all the material 
facts at hand for a balanced, accurate report. 
 
6. (SBU) Harerimana attributed the problem to 
miscommunication and agreed on the need for the GOR to both 
investigate reports of police abuses and to provide 
information.  He said that the Ministry publishes a summary 
 
of police actions in a trimester bulletin, but noted that 
the information is not widely disseminated.  He observed 
that critics complain that Rwanda does not have political or 
press freedom without understanding the complete situation 
and Rwanda's history.  He said that the Ministry plans to 
expand its public outreach through churches and mosques and 
to continue the dialogue with the Embassy to clarify and 
elaborate the GOR's response to our report. 
 
7. (SBU) Ambassador acknowledged that the situation in 
Rwanda is complex but pressed the GOR to investigate each 
and every incident of harassment and intimidation of 
journalists, publish its findings, and ensure that such 
incidents do not recur.  He also urged the GOR to have 
"thick skin" in the face of criticism - to accept the 
criticisms and, if warranted, to criticize only the content 
of the message itself rather than personalizing criticisms 
against the media by attacking the messenger.  He pointed 
out that criticizing the messenger tends to send the wrong 
public message regarding the state of press freedom in 
Rwanda. 
 
8. (SBU) Ambassador noted that during his initial meeting 
with the GOR on human rights (ref A), he had asked Amb. 
Sezibera, Special Presidential Envoy for the Great Lakes 
Region, who makes the decision to seize a newspaper edition 
if there is an article considered a threat to national 
security.  Harerimana responded that there are legal 
procedures one must follow.  The High Press Council must 
officially sanction seizure of any newspaper edition before 
authorities can take action. 
 
Secret Prisons 
 
SIPDIS 
-------------- 
 
9. (U) When asked about the status of a commission to be set 
up by Parliament to investigate an NGO report on secret 
prisons, Harerimana stated that he had seen the report and 
that the Minister of Internal Affairs had stated during a 
public hearing that he was not aware of any such prisons 
(ref B).  He said that Parliament was satisfied with the 
results of the hearing and determined that further 
investigation was not warranted. 
 
Trafficking in Persons 
---------------------- 
 
10. (U) Ambassador explained that for purposes of the 
Congressionally-mandated annual Trafficking in Persons 
Report, "trafficking," as defined by the USG, includes 
procuring or obtaining the services of prostitutes under the 
age of 18 regardless of whether they have crossed the 
country's borders.  He indicated that the Embassy had 
discussions with the National Police, Minister of Gender and 
Family Promotion, Minister of Justice, and others to better 
understand the extent of the situation and to obtain 
information on law enforcement efforts, in particular 
information on arrest and prosecution of traffickers and a 
follow-up on last year's sting operation against landlords 
allegedly housing sex workers.  (Note:  Ambassador provided 
a copy of "The New Times" article regarding the sting 
operation.  End note.) 
 
11. (U) Harerimana responded that he would follow up on that 
incident.  He noted that the GOR has drafted a national long- 
term plan for the protection of children, which will soon be 
finalized and implemented.  He cited widespread poverty, 
lack of education, and the genocide, which left many 
children without parents, as contributing factors to current 
problems affecting children. 
 
Arietti