Rwanda threatens to withdraw Darfur troops if commander removed
July 25, 2008 (WASHINGTON) — The Rwandan government threatened to withdraw its troops stationed in Darfur if its one of its commanders is removed from his post in the UN-African Union (AU) hybrid force.
The indictment caused the UN to request that Rwanda nominate another general as a replacement for Karenzi whose term is due to expire.
But the US wants the UN Secretariat to renew Karenzi’s contract despite the allegations fearing that Rwanda may follow through on its threat to withdraw its contingents in Darfur.
The Washington Post reported that Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice instructed Zalmay Khalilzad, the US ambassador to the United Nations, to inform UN Secretary General Ban Ki-Moon that “the U.S. government urges the renewal of Karenzi’s contract without discrimination”.
However the US administration is divided over pressing to keep the Rwandan general given his record. They have been providing the logistics and training for the Rwandan troops heading to Darfur.
US special envoy Richard Williamson said last May that about 900 Rwandan troops will be trained, equipped and ready to deploy in June and another 1,600 by August.
Rwanda has currently around 3,000 peacekeepers in the war ravaged region.
The Rwandan President Paul Kagame and his foreign minister, Rosemary Museminali, have personally threatened a pullout during a July 15 meeting with US Assistant Secretary of State Jendayi Frazer at the AU summit in Sharm el-Sheikh, Egypt, if Karenzi’s contract wasn’t renewed.
Karenzi’s initial appointment drew controversy from Rwandan opposition groups which accused General Karenzi 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.
The UN Security Council (UNSC) authorized up to 26,000 troops and police for Darfur and approved the use of force to protect civilians against violence which has driven more than 2.1 million people from their homes over the past four years.
(ST)