S/PV.3588 Security Council

The Security Council will now begin its consideration of the item on the agenda. The Security Council is meeting in accordance with the understanding reached in its prior consultations. Members of the Council have before them the progress report of the Secretary-General on the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda, document S/1995/848. I should like to draw the attention of the members of the Council to document S/1995/861, which contains the text of a letter dated 11 October 1995 from the Permanent Representative of Kenya to the United Nations addressed to the President of the Security Council. Following consultations among members of the Security Council, I have been authorized to make the following statement on behalf of the Council: “The Security Council has considered the Secretary-General’s report on the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) of 7 October 1995 (S/1995/848). “The Security Council welcomes progress made by the Government of Rwanda in the reconciliation process, including the integration of more than 2,000 members of former Rwandan Government Forces (RGF) troops into the Rwanda Patriotic Army (RPA). The Council calls on the Government of Rwanda to intensify its contacts with all sectors of Rwandan society, except with those directly responsible for the genocide. The Council reiterates its concern at reports about continuing cross-border infiltrations from neighbouring countries which have a destabilizing effect within Rwanda. The Council also reiterates its concern at the danger for peace and stability in the Great Lakes Region which would be caused by “The Security Council calls again upon all States to act in accordance with the conclusions of the summit meeting of the leaders in the subregion in Nairobi in January 1995 and the recommendations by the Regional Conference on Assistance to Refugees, Returnees and Displaced Persons in the Great Lakes Region, held in Bujumbura in February 1995. The Council welcomes recent efforts to improve relations among the States in the region, which should help pave the way for the proposed Regional Conference on Peace, Security and Development. In this regard, the Council supports the efforts of the Special Envoy of the Secretary- General to the Great Lakes region for the preparation and convening of such a conference. It requests the Secretary-General to submit his report on the results of the first round of consultations of the Special Envoy in the region as soon as possible. “The Security Council reaffirms the important role UNAMIR has played in Rwanda and the subregion. In this respect, the Council underlines its commitment to UNAMIR which, inter alia, assists the Government of Rwanda in facilitating the voluntary return and resettlement of refugees and has made available to the Rwandan authorities its engineering and logistics capacity. The Council underlines that UNAMIR can effectively implement its current mandate only if it has an adequate force level and sufficient means. The Council stands ready to study carefully any further recommendations that the Secretary-General might make on the issue of force reductions in relation to the fulfilment of the mandate of UNAMIR. “The Security Council reaffirms its view that genuine reconciliation as well as long-lasting stability in the region as a whole cannot be attained without the safe, voluntary and organized return to their country of all Rwandan refugees. In this respect, the Council welcomes the joint efforts of Rwanda, neighbouring countries and UNHCR to speed up the voluntary return of refugees through, “The Security Council reaffirms its concern at the appalling situation in the Rwandan prisons. In this respect, it welcomes measures initiated by the Department of Humanitarian Affairs, in coordination with the international community and the Government of Rwanda, to alleviate the intolerable conditions in Rwandan prisons. It calls on the international community to continue its assistance in this regard “The Security Council underlines that sound economic foundations are also vital for achieving lasting stability in Rwanda. In this respect, it welcomes the increased commitments and funds pledged for the Government’s Programme of National Reconciliation and Socio-Economic Rehabilitation and Recovery following the mid-term review of the Geneva Round-Table Conference, and calls on the international community to continue to support Rwanda’s rehabilitation process. “The Security Council will remain seized of the matter.” This statement will be issued as a document of the Security Council under the symbol S/PRST/1995/53. The Security Council has thus concluded the present stage of its consideration of the item on the agenda. The Security Council will remain seized of the matter.