SECRETARY-GENERAL EXPRESSES PROFOUND SHOCK AT 'SAVAGERY' OF ATTACK AT MUDENDE CAMP IN NORTH-WESTERN RWANDA
Press Release
SG/SM/6422
SECRETARY-GENERAL EXPRESSES PROFOUND SHOCK AT 'SAVAGERY' OF ATTACK AT MUDENDE CAMP IN NORTH-WESTERN RWANDA
19971212 Massacre Described as 'Brutal Reminder' of 1994 Genocide; Respect for Security of Vulnerable, Defenceless Refugees DemandedThis statement was issued today by the Associate Spokesman for Secretary-General Kofi Annan:
The Secretary-General was profoundly shocked by the 10 December 1997 attack on the Mudende refugee camp in north-western Rwanda. Defenceless refugees, mostly women and children, were massacred, leaving nearly 300 dead and over 200 wounded, testifying to the savagery of the attack. The camp has been home to some 17,000 Tutsi refugees from the Masisi region of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
These killings are a brutal reminder of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and its devastating consequences for the region of the Great Lakes. It is most distressing that after almost four years, prospects for peace, stability and national reconciliation remain dim and that efforts to find lasting solutions in Rwanda and the region have not been successful.
The Secretary-General strongly condemns these killings and all acts of violence. He is very concerned at the recent escalation of violence in the north and north-western regions of Rwanda. He wishes to reaffirm the international demand that the security of vulnerable refugees be respected.
The Secretary-General also wishes to express his sincere condolences to the Governments of Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of the Congo, as well as to the families of the victims of this senseless attack.
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