BELGIAN MFA ON BELGIAN AID ALONG RWANDAN BORDER

UNCLAS BRUSSELS 000630

SIPDIS

SIPDIS

E.O. 12958: N/A
TAGS: BE PGOV PREL RWANDA CONGO
SUBJECT: BELGIAN MFA ON BELGIAN AID ALONG RWANDAN BORDER
AND STATUS OF RWANDANS IN BELGIUM



1. (SBU) SUMMARY: Over the course of a meeting on April
18, Paul Jansen, the Belgian MFA desk officer for Rwanda and
Burundi, explained Belgium,s role in helping reassimilate
Rwandan returnees and the status of Rwandan immigrants in
Belgium. END SUMMARY

Belgium,s Role in Reassimilation
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2. (SBU) Accordng to MFA official Jansen, the presence of
the Force Democratique de Liberation de Rwanda (FDLR),a Hutu
group that played a major role in perpetrating the 1994
genocide along the Rwandan/Congolese border, has remained a
point of contention between the two countries. The Rwandan
government has often accused the Congolese of aiding and
supporting the FDLR and preventing the capture of FDLR
leadership responsible for war crimes committed during the
genocide. The Congolese counter that Rwanda sponsors Laurent
Nkunda,s army, and that Nkunda is an eccentric, Congolese
Tutsi warlord who sees himself as the defender of the Tutsi
population against the FDLR.


3. (SBU) Mr. Jansen does not believe that either
country,s allegations are truthful, that they are just saber
rattling. He said that both countries have an economic stake
in keeping the border calm. Rwanda, a country with few
natural resources, relies on imports and trade that travel
across the eastern provinces of Congo. On the other hand,
the vast mineral resources of eastern Congo have been under
used because of violence in the region, which has caused
economic hardship.


4. (SBU) The genocide and border conflicts have resulted
in many Rwandans leaving their homes either as refugees or as
FDLR conscripts. The Rwandan government is working to make
sure that when these refugees and former soldiers return they
are given the skills and support they need to reestablish
themselves. According to Jansen, Belgium is playing a role
in establishing "re-welcome centers" along the Congolese
boarder. These centers, operated by the Rwandan government,
provide basic life skills, job training, and cultural
education to returnees. The training is particularly useful
to the many who left Rwanda at a young age and remain largely
undereducated. Jansen said that Belgium has provided
technical assistance to the centers and helps with limited
logistical matters. The Belgium government views the centers
as an important element in rebuilding the human capital lost
during the genocide.

Rwandan Refugees in Belgium
--------------


5. (SBU) There are thought to be over 30,000 Rwandans or
former Rwandans currently living in Belgium. Jansen reported
that the expatriate community is divided, not so much along
ethnic lines, but by views of the current government.
However, those who support Presdient Kagame,s current
government tend to be mostly Tutsi, while those who oppose
him tend to be mostly Hutu. There are many radical Hutu
groups that either deny a genocide of Tutsis ever took place,
or argue that there was such a genocide, but was followed by
a genocide of Hutus by the Tutsis.



6. (SBU) The conflict has resulted in minor incidents
between the two groups, but no major instances of violence
have been reported. Most recently a group of Hutu genocide
deniers tried to hold a counter demonstration during the
April anniversary of the genocide. The City of Brussels and
the Council of State prohibited the march on administrative
grounds, but the groups are expected to correctly file needed
paperwork. The government of Rwanda is pressuring the
Belgian authorities to deny the group's request.




Bush
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