§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the United Kingdom is taking as a member of the Security Council to ensure that safe areas are established across Rwanda other than those on the border areas and in Kigali.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe United Kingdom supported Security Council resolutions 918 and 925 expanding the United Nations Aid Mission in Rwanda force and mandating it to provide support and protection for civilians at risk. Since the situation on the ground is constantly changing, Security Council resolution 925 gives the force commander the flexibility to deploy his force in the way that he considers most likely to enable UNAMIR to fulfil its mandate.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what steps the United Kingdom and other Security Council members are taking to ensure that those responsible for the genocide in Rwanda are held accountable under the 1948 United Nations genocide convention.
§ Mr. Lennox-BoydThe United Kingdom has welcomed the appointment by the special session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights in Geneva on 24–25 May of a special rapporteur. His task will be to 641W gather information on acts which may constitute breaches of international humanitarian law and crimes against humanity, including acts of genocide, and report to the Secretary-General.
The special session also affirmed that all persons who commit or authorise violations of human rights or international humanitarian law are individually responsible and accountable for those violations and that the international community will exert every effort to bring those responsible to justice, while affirming that the primary responsibility for bringing perpetrators to justice rests with national judicial system.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he supports calls for human rights monitors to be deployed as part of the United Nations force in Rwanda; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe United Kingdom supported the adoption of the recent resolution by the United Nations Commission on Human Rights which, inter alia, called for human rights field officers to be deployed in Rwanda. Proposals for a deployment have not yet been made.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what request the United Kingdom Government have received for logistical assistance with the deployment of UNAMIR troops in Rwanda; and what was their response.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggThe United Kingdom, along with other United Nations member states, has received a request to provide logistical support. As my right hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs informed the House on 15 June,Official Report, column 615, we are keen and ready to provide such support and are looking with the United Nations at ways in which we can contribute, for example by providing trucks. Since the start of the crisis in Rwanda we have given over £11 million in humanitarian aid.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the outcome of the emergency session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights which met on 24 and 25 May to discuss Rwanda.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggWe welcomed the outcome of the special session of the United Nations Commission on Human Rights to discuss Rwanda, and in particular its decision to appoint a special rapporteur to investigate the human rights situation, assisted by a team of human rights field officers. We look forward to receiving the first report of the special rapporteur by 24 June.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the countries which have responded positively to the United Nations Secretary General's appeal for troops to augment United Nations UNAMIR in Rwanda.
§ Mr. Douglas HoggGhana, Senegal, Ethiopia, Zimbabwe, Nigeria, Congo and Mali have all responded positively to the United Nations Secretary-General's appeal for troops to augment UNAMIR.
§ Mr. Ieuan Wyn JonesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the predicted timetable for the deployment of642W the addition 5,500 United Nations troops to Rwanda as agreed under United Nations Security Council resolution 918.
§ Mr. HoggThe Secretary-General's report to the Security Council of 31 May 1994 outlined a three-stage deployment schedule. The first stage, the strengthening of the Ghanaian battalion in Kigali and the deployment of a number of military observers is to begin by mid-July 1994. Phase two, the deployment of one mechanised and one motorised battalion, will take place in close synchronisation with phase 1. The timing of phase three, the deployment of an additional two battalions, will depend upon how the initial deployment of the force unfolds.