RWANDA'S REACTION TO KABUYE ARREST ENDANGERS VITAL

S E C R E T KIGALI 000820 NOFORN SIPDIS E.O. 12958: DECL: 10/16/2018 TAGS: PREL PGOV PINR RW SUBJECT: RWANDA'S REACTION TO KABUYE ARREST ENDANGERS VITAL AID REF: A. KIGALI 810 ¶B. KIGALI 796 Classified By: Ambassador W. Stuart Symington for Reasons 1.4 (b) (d) ¶1. (C) Ambassador met with the German Charge November 20, in the wake of the mass demonstrations (ref A) against the arrest of senior Rwandan official Rose Kabuye in Germany (ref B). Expressing considerable dismay at the recent turn of events in German-Rwandan relations (asking at one point, "Why Germany?"),the Charge said there was a strong prospect the German Parliament and other entities would react negatively. He did not want to see such an escalation affect German assistance to Rwanda. He said the Rwandan Government (GOR) had been giving a "mixed message" to the German Government in the past few days. Rwanda condemned the arrest in press briefings, mustered hundreds of thousands of marchers around the German embassy and radio station on November 19, and supported a daily vigil outside the German embassy by Rwandan women's organizations. On the other hand, the Charge continued, the Rwandan Foreign Minister had been careful to say publicly several times that Rwanda valued German assistance and hoped that their productive relations would continue. ¶2. (S/NF) In a later conversation, a senior western diplomat told Ambassador that he thought it likely Germany would reduce or halt its direct budget support to Rwanda. There was be a danger that other EU donors might also reduce their assistance. (Note: Germany is among the smallest of the direct budget support group of donors; its direct contribution in FY 2007 amounted to about 2 million dollars -- this amount dwarfed by the 2007 contributions of the British aid organization DFID, at nearly 80 million dollars, the World Bank at 50 million dollars, and the African Development Bank at 35 million dollars . End note). ¶3. (C) Comment. Sustained donor support is essential to Rwanda. We are underscoring that view to other donors. Too many Rwandans depend on donor funds for education, health care, and economic development for the donors to turn their backs on Rwanda. It would be a painful irony to see lasting damage to Rwandan-German relations take place just when France wants better relations with Rwanda, as French Foreign Minister Kouchner has said repeatedly. Rwandans saw Kabuye's release on bail in France as a positive step. Although Kabuye's controversial indictment remains in force (as well as eight others),Rwandans hope that the French may be seeking a way out of the impasse. In the interim, we will continue to encourage donors, including the Germans, not to downgrade their efforts. End comment. SYMINGTON