IRIN-CEA Update No. 658 - Tuesday 27 April 1999

CONTENTS DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Nairobi now venue of Congolese talks RWANDA: Less death sentences at genocide trials

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DEMOCRATIC REPUBLIC OF CONGO: Nairobi now venue of Congolese talks The DRC authorities have announced that a national debate, due to be held in Rome on Friday, has been postponed by a week and will, instead, take place in Nairobi. Speaking over state television on Monday, the rapporteur of the National Debate Organising Committee, Lole Kondia, said pledges of financial assistance had not been honoured and "considering the urgency of the situation", it had been decided to hold the meeting in Nairobi from 8-15 May. The Rome meeting has been beset by problems, with rebels of the Rassemblement congolais pour la democratie (RCD) stating they would not attend unless certain preconditions were met. Regional analysts told IRIN on Tuesday the chance of Congolese sides coming together and reaching agreement was "remote" because too many political ambitions were at stake. South Kivu reconciliation meetings continue Reconciliation meetings are continuing in South Kivu, with the next one due to take place in the traditionally hostile Fizi area between Banyamulenge and Mayi-Mayi representatives, local sources told IRIN on Tuesday. While the move is positive, the situation in the Kivus is still far from stable. But the sources hailed the meetings as a "local initiative" rather than trying to find outside solutions to DRC's problems. RWANDA: Less death sentences at genocide trials Rwandan courts have judged a total of 1,274 genocide suspects over a two-year period, 232 of whom have been sentenced to death, the independent Hirondelle news agency reported on Tuesday. It cited the Rwandan human rights watchdog body, Ligue rwandaise pour la promotion et la defense des droits de l'homme (LIPRODHOR) as saying the trials were held between 27 December 1996 and 31 December 1998, and the increase in judgements was due in part to the "group trials" and also to the incentive of reduced sentences for guilty pleas. The report notes that the number of death sentences fell from 30.8 percent in 1997 to 12.8 percent in 1998, a result of the tribunals gaining in experience. Ex-government official acquitted Meanwhile, a criminal court in western Kibuye prefecture on Monday acquitted a former government official of genocide charges, the Rwanda News Agency reported. The prosecution had requested the death penalty against the former deputy prefect Ignace Banyaga who served alongside the ex-prefect Clement Kayishema, currently in detention at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania. International community urged to help The UN Human Rights Commission has hailed continuing efforts by Rwanda to build a state based on the rule of law and respect for human rights. In a resolution passed this week, it condemned weapons sales to the Interahamwe and ex-FAR and expressed concern over detention conditions in Rwanda. It urged the international community to provide financial and technical assistance to the country. Amnesty International on Monday criticised the UN Human Rights Commission for its response to the human rights situation in any given country. "Striking deals and negotiating over human rights have become a standard practice of the Commission proceedings," it said. "In some cases this year, the Commission's action has been completely unrealistic and irrelevant." In the case of Rwanda, Amnesty noted there had been no UN international human rights monitoring presence since last July when the government expelled the team, and that violations were reportedly being carried out by both the government and rebels. Bid to persuade refugees to go home A delegation of former Rwandan refugees living in Kibungo refecture recently visited the Ngara region of Tanzania in a bid to persuade Rwandan refugees to return home, the BBC Kinyarwanda service reported. It said the delegation was accompanied by about 10 government members. The refugees were shown video film depicting the situation in Rwanda. A small number decided to return voluntarily and 60 more refugees were due to visit their places of origin in order to report back to the camps. There are some 20,000 Rwandan refugees in Tanzania.