US supports extension for controversial Rwandan UN commander in Darfur
July 1, 2008 (WASHINGTON) — The US voiced support to a decision by the UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon to renew contract of a Rwandan general working in Darfur accused of war crimes.
General Kerenzi Karake was named last year as the second-in-command for a joint United Nations-African Union force in Darfur despite allegations of power abuse in his homeland involving detained extremists of the country’s Hutu ethnic group.
A Brussels-based Rwandan exile group has accused General Kerenzi Karake of supervising extra-judicial killings of civilians before and after Tutsi-led rebels took power in Rwanda following the country’s 1994 genocide.
The Rwandan government denied the charge. While the United Nations has asked international human rights groups to submit any information they have on Karake, 46, to discover whether there is any basis to the allegations.
But last February a Spanish magistrate issued an indictment against Karake and 40 other Rwandan officials for reprisal killings against Hutus in the years after the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) seized power, the Washington Post reported.
Karake’s contract in Darfur mission was due to expire soon and the UN Secretariat appeared hesitant to renew it.
Rwanda’s U.N. ambassador, Joseph Nsengimana, told the Washington Post that the world body has already offered to renew the contract of the top commander of the U.N. mission in Darfur, Gen. Martin Luther Agwai of Nigeria, but has not done the same for Kerenzi.
“We have nominated General Kerenzi because he is professionally qualified and the U.N. has recognized he is a very good official…as the force commander’s contract was automatically renewed, we requested to know why Kerenzi’s was not”.
The US, largest contributor to the UN-AU force, urged the UN chief to keep the Rwandan general despite division in Washington on whether this is the right thing to do.
In a meeting last week, Jendayi Frazer, the U.S. assistant secretary of state for Africa, urged U.N. Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the world body’s top peacekeeping official, Jean-Marie Guehenno, to renew Kerenzi’s contract, according to American and U.N. officials.
Frazer argued that the United Nations cannot afford to alienate the Rwandans when they are needed in Darfur and may play a role in a future U.N. mission in Somalia. She signaled that Kerenzi “has to stay” a U.N. official said.
But others in the administration believe Kerenzi should go. “There are many in the U.S. government who think we should dump the guy” said one American official, who spoke on the condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to speak publicly. “But Assistant Secretary Jendayi Frazer has the final call.”
“The message was listen to the Rwandans” the official told the US daily.
Washington likely made the decision in light of slow international response to aiding the Darfur force with logistics and troops. Rwandan troops are one of the largest contingents in the war ravaged region.
The US has grown increasingly frustrated with the slow pace of deploying peacekeepers to Darfur and recently appeared to throw the blame on the UN for the delay.
The United Nations has for months been seeking six attack and 18 transport helicopters to support the force. But Williamson told UN chief last March that the UN should not be hung on the issue of helicopters needed by the Darfur force.
UN Security Council adopted resolution 1769 on July 31st which authorized a hybrid UN-AU force (UNAMID) consisting of 26,000 troops and police but so far it only has only 9,000 personnel.
(ST)