NEW YORK // The UN has released a report accusing Rwandan troops of raping and killing Hutu refugees in the Democratic Republic of Congo in the aftermath of the 1994 genocide, detailing what it claims were widespread instances of mass- killing.
The 550-page catalogue of atrocities has been condemned by officials in Rwanda and other neighbouring countries that are implicated in the violence as a "rewriting of history" and a threat to the security and stability of central Africa. Covering a decade of violence from 1993, the UN report outlines the flight of more than one million Rwandans, mostly Hutus, into neighbouring DR Congo after the country's 1994 genocide, in which some 800,000 victims, mostly Tutsis, were killed.
Rwandan forces invaded DR Congo in 1996 in pursuit of the so-called genocidaires, who lived among hundreds of thousands of Hutu refugees. The UN report describes "tens of thousands" of Hutu civilians being killed with knives, burnt alive and bludgeoned with hammers as the Rwandan army and the Allied Democratic Liberation Forces swept across DR Congo - then called Zaire - leading to the toppling of long-time ruler Mobutu Sese Seko.
DR Congo's ambassador to the UN yesterday demanded justice for the victims of the massacres. "They deserve that their voices are heard by my government and by the international community," DR Congo's ambassador to the United Nations, Ileka Atoki, said in a statement. The report said Rwandan soldiers did not discriminate between fugitives and refugees, describing systematic rapes, mutilations and murders - mostly of children, women, elderly and the sick, who were "often undernourished and posed no threat to the attacking forces".
"Thus the apparent systematic and widespread attacks described in this report reveal a number of inculpatory elements that, if proven before a competent court, could be characterised as crimes of genocide," said the document, which wad released yesterday. Called a "Mapping Exercise", the UN report saw 33 researchers spend eight months in DR Congo, interviewing 1,280 witnesses and analysing 1,500 documents before compiling evidence of 617 violations committed by several armies and rebel groups between 1993 and 2003.
The exercise was launched after UN peacekeepers discovered three mass graves in eastern DR Congo in 2005, two years after DR Congo's peace process became effective. In her foreword, the UN high commissioner for human rights Navi Pillay says that "no report can adequately describe the horrors experienced by the civilian population" in DR Congo. A draft version of the document was leaked to a French newspaper, Le Monde, at the end of August and provoked furious reactions from officials in Rwanda and other governments that are implicated in the allegations.
The Rwandan government, under the presidency of Paul Kagame, draws its legitimacy from being the force that ended the 1994 genocide, and threatened to pull peacekeeping troops out of western Sudan's Darfur region if the report's damaging allegations were published. But Mr Kagame agreed to retain peacekeepers in Sudan's war-ravaged province after closed-door talks with the UN's secretary general, Ban Ki-moon. The UN agreed to publish the document while also giving the accused governments right of reply.
"Rwanda categorically states that the document is flawed and dangerous from start to finish," the country's foreign minister, Louise Mushikiwabo, said in a statement.
jreinl@thenational.ae
WHAT IS A BLACK HOLE?
1. Black holes are objects whose gravity is so strong not even light can escape their pull
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5. Astronomers believe that when the universe was very young, black holes affected how galaxies formed
Huroob Ezterari
Director: Ahmed Moussa
Starring: Ahmed El Sakka, Amir Karara, Ghada Adel and Moustafa Mohammed
Three stars
Analysis
Members of Syria's Alawite minority community face threat in their heartland after one of the deadliest days in country’s recent history. Read more
THE LIGHT
Director: Tom Tykwer
Starring: Tala Al Deen, Nicolette Krebitz, Lars Eidinger
Rating: 3/5
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The specs
Engine: 4.0-litre flat-six
Torque: 450Nm at 6,100rpm
Transmission: 7-speed PDK auto or 6-speed manual
Fuel economy, combined: 13.8L/100km
On sale: Available to order now
Dr Afridi's warning signs of digital addiction
Spending an excessive amount of time on the phone.
Neglecting personal, social, or academic responsibilities.
Losing interest in other activities or hobbies that were once enjoyed.
Having withdrawal symptoms like feeling anxious, restless, or upset when the technology is not available.
Experiencing sleep disturbances or changes in sleep patterns.
What are the guidelines?
Under 18 months: Avoid screen time altogether, except for video chatting with family.
Aged 18-24 months: If screens are introduced, it should be high-quality content watched with a caregiver to help the child understand what they are seeing.
Aged 2-5 years: Limit to one-hour per day of high-quality programming, with co-viewing whenever possible.
Aged 6-12 years: Set consistent limits on screen time to ensure it does not interfere with sleep, physical activity, or social interactions.
Teenagers: Encourage a balanced approach – screens should not replace sleep, exercise, or face-to-face socialisation.
Source: American Paediatric Association
Tips to avoid getting scammed
1) Beware of cheques presented late on Thursday
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A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Europe’s rearming plan
- Suspend strict budget rules to allow member countries to step up defence spending
- Create new "instrument" providing €150 billion of loans to member countries for defence investment
- Use the existing EU budget to direct more funds towards defence-related investment
- Engage the bloc's European Investment Bank to drop limits on lending to defence firms
- Create a savings and investments union to help companies access capital
Learn more about Qasr Al Hosn
In 2013, The National's History Project went beyond the walls to see what life was like living in Abu Dhabi's fabled fort:
Soldier F
“I was in complete disgust at the fact that only one person was to be charged for Bloody Sunday.
“Somebody later said to me, 'you just watch - they'll drop the charge against him'. And sure enough, the charges against Soldier F would go on to be dropped.
“It's pretty hard to think that 50 years on, the State is still covering up for what happened on Bloody Sunday.”
Jimmy Duddy, nephew of John Johnson
Points Classification
1. Marcel Kittel (Germany / Quick-Step) 63
2. Arnaud Demare (France / FDJ) 38
3. Andre Greipel (Germany / Lotto) 25
4. Sonny Colbrelli (Italy / Bahrain) 24
5. Mark Cavendish (Britain / Dimension Data) 22
6. Taylor Phinney (U.S. / Cannondale) 21
7. Geraint Thomas (Britain / Team Sky) 20
8. Thomas Boudat (France / Direct Energie) 20
9. Stefan Kueng (Switzerland / BMC Racing) 17
10. Michael Matthews (Australia / Sunweb) 17
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THE SPECS
Cadillac XT6 2020 Premium Luxury
Engine: 3.6L V-6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 367Nm
Price: Dh280,000
Keane on …
Liverpool’s Uefa Champions League bid: “They’re great. With the attacking force they have, for me, they’re certainly one of the favourites. You look at the teams left in it - they’re capable of scoring against anybody at any given time. Defensively they’ve been good, so I don’t see any reason why they couldn’t go on and win it.”
Mohamed Salah’s debut campaign at Anfield: “Unbelievable. He’s been phenomenal. You can name the front three, but for him on a personal level, he’s been unreal. He’s been great to watch and hopefully he can continue now until the end of the season - which I’m sure he will, because he’s been in fine form. He’s been incredible this season.”
Zlatan Ibrahimovic’s instant impact at former club LA Galaxy: “Brilliant. It’s been a great start for him and for the club. They were crying out for another big name there. They were lacking that, for the prestige of LA Galaxy. And now they have one of the finest stars. I hope they can go win something this year.”
