[Congressional Record Volume 140, Number 70 (Wednesday, June 8, 1994)] [Senate] [Page S] From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov] [Congressional Record: June 8, 1994] From the Congressional Record Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov] THE INTERNATIONAL COMMU- NITY'S FAILURE IN RWANDAMr. DURENBERGER. Mr. President, I rise today to underscore the need--even at this late date--to help reduce the suffering in Rwanda and the neighboring countries where thousands of refugees have fled. I am deeply concerned that we have not acted more quickly--and that our inaction in addressing this crisis will be repeated in some other area of the world. Our present inaction is the direct result of the leadership vacuum that exists at the White House--a vacuum that is mirrored at the Department of State and at the National Security Council. Instead of being a moral voice rallying support for the thousands of refugees--or speaking up in righteous wrath against the genocide--the United States has been paralyzed by the same malaise that has caused the Europeans and other nations to refuse to provide direct support to stop the bloodshed. And we cannot excuse the international community for its failure by trying to rewrite history. In this respect, I call my colleagues' attention to a recent article in the Washington Times entitled ``Missing Pieces of the Rwanda Puzzle,'' which paints a revisionist picture of the facts about the conflict in Rwanda. Despite what is said in this article, there is no present evidence to substantiate the allegation that regular units of the Ugandan Army are fighting in Rwanda under the banner of the Rwanda Patriotic Front [RPF]. When this rumor first surfaced, my office was in directed contact with the U.S. Ambassador to Uganda, Johnnie Carson, who confirmed the fact that the Ugandan Army was not involved in this conflict. This fact has subsequently been confirmed in conversations with the Department of State. The conflict that has raged between the armed forces of the Government of Rwanda and the RPF has resulted in military casualties to both sides, and to civilians who have been caught in the fighting. However, the atrocities we read about almost every day--that have been perpetrated on unarmed men, women, and children--have been largely the work of armed Hutu bands. These atrocities are being aided and encouraged by government forces. The mass killing of unarmed civilians has not been equally the work of Hutus and Tutsis, as the Washington Times article would have us believe. The victims of these genocidal acts have been Tutsis and moderate members of the Hutu Tribe that oppose the present provisional government. This is confirmed by those who have been lucky enough to escape the genocide, and by members of such well-known human rights organizations as Africa Watch who have been in direct contact with the events. Nor are the events that have occurred in Rwanda the result of some outside influence, or the ambition of an African leader to establish a tribal empire in east central Africa. Though the facts may never be known, the information at present would indicate that the plane crash which killed President Juvenal Habyarimana was, in all probability, caused by elements of his own government who were dissatisfied with his moderate approach and desire to institute a coalition government--as called for in the Arusha Accords. Changing the facts will not change the situation. There are still thousands of refugees in camps located in neighboring countries, principally Uganda, Tanzania, and Burundi. They are in desperate need of medical assistance and the necessities of life. There are also still those in Rwanda who fear for their lives because of the lawlessness and roving bands of armed youths. There is still a need for safe havens where those who have survived the massacre can receive protection, medical assistance, and food. Distortion or misstatement of the facts cannot justify the suffering that continues today. More than 100,000 Rwandans are dead. Just as self-styled revisionist historians cannot erase the tragic fact of the 1933-45 Holocaust, no newspaper article can change the reality of what has taken place in Rwanda. I thought it important to set the record straight. ____________________