January 11, 1994, Cable of General Dallaire to UN Headquarters

source Available from http://www.gwu.edu/~nsarchiv/NSAEBB/NSAEBB53/rw011194.pdf.

introduction On January 10, 1994, General Romeo Dallaire, the Force Commander for UNAMIR in Rwanda, received the most important information from the Chief Trainer of the Interahamwe, the militia of the MRND party, indicating a plot to subvert the peace agreement, slaughter Tutsis at the rate of 1,000 Tutsis every 20 minutes, and kill ten Belgian soldiers to induce the Belgian government to withdraw its peacekeeping contingent. He also informed UNAMIR of four large stocks weapons. In addition, he said that there was a spy on the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative's (Jacques Roger Booh-Booh) staff. In return for revealing the locations of the arms caches, the informer requested that he and his family be provided with asylum in the West. When General Dallaire informed New York headquarters (see the cable below) of his plans to go after the arms caches, the plan was immediately vetoed. Further, Dallaire was instructed to inform President Habyarimana immediately about the information. In investigations afterwards, and in spite of plenty of information that the cable was seen as a crucial item, Riza and Annan first claimed not to have any recollection of the cable, and later said that they received so much information that they did not realize its significance. However, they never ordered any further investigation. The suppression of the cable and follow-up action was the most blatant example of a missed early warning opportunity so necessary to the prevention and mitigation of genocide.

Date: 11 January 1994

To: Baril/DPKO/UNATIONS NEW YORK

From: Dallaire/UNAMIR/KIGALI

Subject: Request for protection for informant

Attn: MGen Baril Room No.2052

Force commander put in contact with informant by very very important government politician. Informant is a top level trainer in the cadre of Interhamwearmed militia of MRND.

He informed us he was in charge of last Saturday's demonstrations which aims were to target deputies of opposition parties coming to ceremonies and Belgian soldiers. They hoped to provoke the RPF BN to engage (being fired upon) the demonstrators and provoke a civil war. Deputies were to be assassinated upon entry or exit from Parliament. Belgian troops were to be provoked and if Belgians soldiers resorted to force a number of them were to be killed and thus guarantee Belgian withdrawal from Rwanda.

Informant confirmed 48 RGF CDO and a few members of the Gendarmerie participated in demonstrations in plain clothes. Also at least one minister of the MRND and the Sous-Prefect of Kigali were in the demonstration. RGF and Interhamwe provided radio communications.

Informant is a former security member of the president. He also stated he is paid RF150,000 per month by the MRND party to train Interhamwe. Direct link is to Chief of Staff RGF and president of the MRND for financial and material support.

Interhamwe has trained 1700 men in RGF military camps outside the capital. The 1700 are scattered in groups of 40 throughout Kigali. Since UNAMIR deployed he has trained 300 personnel in three week training sessions at RGF camps. Training focus was discipline, weapons, explosives, close combat and tactics.

Principal aim of Interhamwe in the past was to protect Kigali from RPF. Since unamir mandate he has been ordered to register all Tutsi in Kigali. He suspects it is for their extermination. Example he gave was that in 20 minutes his personnel could kill up to 1000 Tutsis.

Informant states he disagrees with anti-Tutsi extermination. He supports opposition to RPF, but cannot support killing of innocent persons. He also stated that he believes the president does not have full control over all elements of his old party/faction.

Informant is prepared to provide location of major weapons cache with at least 135 weapons. He already has distributed 110 weapons including 35 with ammunition and can give us details of their location. Type of weapons are G3 and AK47 provided by RGF. He was ready to go to the arms cache tonight—if we gave him the following guarantee. He requests that he and his family (his wife and four children) be placed under our protection.

It is our intention to take action within the next 36 hours with a possible H-Hr of Wednesday at dawn (local). Informant states that hostilities may commence again if political deadlock ends. Violence could take place day of the ceremonies or the day after. Therefore, Wednesday will give greatest chance of success and also be most timely to provide significant input to ongoing political negotiations.

It is recommended the informant be granted protection and evacuated out of Rwanda. This HQ does not have previous UN experience in such matters and urgently requests guidance. No contact has as yet been made to any embassy in order to inquire if they are prepared to protect him for a period of time by granting diplomatic immunity in their embassy in Kigali before moving him and his family out of the country.

Force Commander will be meeting with the very very important political person tomorrow morning in order to ensure that this individual is conscious of all parameters of his involvement. Force Commander does have certain reservations on the suddenness of the change of heart of the informant to come clean with this information. Recce of armed cache and detailed planning of raid to go on late tomorrow. Possibility of a trap not fully excluded, as this may be a set-up against the very very important political person. Force Commander to inform SRSG first thing in morning to ensure his support.