Hutu rebels blast UN chief
2005-08-20 18:53
Nairobi - Exiled Rwandan Hutu rebels on Saturday accused United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan of "pushing for new bloodshed" in Africa's Great Lakes region by favoring the disarming of rebels by force.
The Hutu rebel group, the Democratic Forces for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR), has been based in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) for 11 years after the Tutsi minority took control of Rwanda following the devastating 1994 genocide led by Hutu extremists.
The rebels were referring to Annan's comments earlier this month hailing the "commitment" made by the DRC's transitional government "to take forcible action to disarm FDLR."
"Instead of pushing for new bloodshed in the sub-region, the secretary general should instead encourage all parties involved in the crisis to commit themselves to peace and honour their commitments," FDLR leader Ignace Murwanashyaka said in a statement released to the press.
"The FDLR strongly do believe that there is no need for violence," the rebel chief said.
The presence of the FDLR rebels in the DRC has raised tensions between Kinshasa and Kigali, which accuses the insurgents of crossing the border to carry out attacks in Rwanda.
At peace talks last March in Rome, the FDLR agreed to renounce its armed fight and return to Rwanda, but little progress has been made.
The FDLR statement denied that it has hindered the Rome peace process saying the negotiations stalled because no international committee has been created to steer the process.
It also called on the Rwandan Tutsi-led government to show its commitment to peace "by starting unconditional talks with the FDLR leadership under the auspices of the international community," the rebel statement said.
Kigali has refused to negotiate with the FDLR as some factions of the group are accused of taking part in the massacre that the UN says killed about 800 000 people, mostly minority Tutsis and moderate Hutus.