RWANDA SUPPORTS RAPE RESOLUTION, MAY ABSTAIN ON

C O N F I D E N T I A L KIGALI 000979 SIPDIS SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/01/2017 TAGS: PHUM PREL UNGA RW SUBJECT: RWANDA SUPPORTS RAPE RESOLUTION, MAY ABSTAIN ON CUBA RESOLUTION REF: A. KIGALI 969 ¶B. KIGALI 857 Classified By: CDA Cheryl Sim, reason 1.4 (B/D) ¶1. (C) In absence of the Foreign Minister and Minister of State, A/DCM called upon International Organizations Director Ben Rutsinga on October 26 to discuss the U.S.-sponsored rape resolution and the Cuba embargo resolution. On the rape resolution, Rutsinga reiterated Rwanda's strong support for the U.S. resolution (see refs A and B),saying, "I believe we have already instructed our delegation to support the U.S position." He specifically endorsed the language compromises offered by the U.S. delegation. He agreed that retention of the language on "rape as an instrument of political or military objectives" was important, and said it resonated with the Rwandan government, given the use of mass rape during the 1994 Rwandan genocide, and its use by "negative forces" in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. When asked if Rwanda would consider co-sponsoring the resolution, Rutsinga said, "we will consider it." ¶2. (C) On the Cuba embargo resolution, Rutsinga first expressed his government's "dislike" of block voting on U.N issues. However, he then noted the continuing strong support for Cuba within the Africa Group, Cuba's present status as head of the Non-Aligned Movement (Rwanda attended the summit last year in Havana),and the presence of two dozen Cuban doctors in Rwanda. He also mentioned the yearly Rwanda-Cuba Joint Cooperation meetings. Acknowledging that "there are human rights problems in Cuba," Rutsinga said that the GOR was very cognizant of its close relations with the U.S. Noting that Rwanda had voted in favor of the resolution last year, A/DCM asked if the Rwanda could abstain this year. In reply, Rutsinga said that Rwanda had adopted a general policy of "not choosing between friends" on such matters as UN resolutions. One strategy, he said, would be to abstain on the vote. Another, he said, would be to "miss the vote." Rwanda had a small mission in New York, "we can't be everywhere," and sometimes the mission did not make every meeting. "We will discuss our response within the Ministry," he said. SIM