United Nations FOURTH COMMITTEE, 1269th GENERAL MEETING ASSEMBLY Wednesday, 24 January 1962, at 11.10 a.m. SIXTEENTH SESSION Official Records NEW YORK

CONTENTS themselves to no purpose by voting "yes" in the Page referendum. Agenda item 49: 5. He then gave a detailed account, district by dis­ Question of the future of Ruanda-Urundi: trict, of the irregularities which had occurred on report of the United Nations Commission 25 September 1961; in many polling stations voters for Ruanda-Urundi (continued) ...... • . 691 favouring the Union nationale rwandaise (UNAR) had Hearing of petitioners (continued) . • • • • . . 691 been subjected to acts of intimidation, while propa­ ganda for PARMEHUTU had continued during the polling and efforts had been made to influence the Chairman: Miss Angie BROOKS (Liberia). voting in favour of that party. Emblems and flags of P ARMEHUTU had been displayed in the neighbourhood AGENDA ITEM 49 of some polling stations; at others, PARMEHUTU campaigners, burgomasters and communal police had Question of the future of Ruanda-Urundi: report of the United been able to come and go freely, intimidating their political adversaries and encouraging their suppor­ Nations Commission for Ruanda-Urundi (A/4856, A/4865 ters. Very often, even the secrecy of the booths had and Corr.1,A/4970,A/4994 and Add.1 and Corr.1, A/C.4/ not been respected and there had been cases in which 516, 517 and Corr.1, 518, 519, 521, 522 and Add.1-4, 523, voters had had to vote without booths. In the commune 524, 525, 526, 527, 528) (continued) of Gashora the voting had been stopped at a time when more than 1,000 enrolled voters had not yet i:oeen able 1. Mr. DOE (Liberia), speaking on behalfoftheCom­ to vote. Active members of PARMEHUTU had voted mittee, asked whether it would be possible to have the on behalf of old or hesitant voters or had automatically statements made by petitioners circulated in accord­ given them black and red ballot papers. Assessors had ance with the procedure followed in the past. sometimes gone as far as to open the envelopes, an­ 2. The CHAIRMAN asked the Committee to consider nouncing the contents in a loud voice in order to in­ the proposal made by the representative of Liberia. fluence the voters or tearing up the white and khaki ballot papers. One case of that kind had occurred at In the absence of any objection, the proposal was Kinigi, where at 6. p.m., after the departure of the adopted. Belgian supervisor, 2,000 voters had been forced by the burgomaster to vote for P ARMEHUTU, while HEARING OF PETITIONERS (continued) twenty members of UNAR had been beaten and driven At the invitation of the Chairman, Mr. Michel away, one of them having even been thrown into prison. Kayihura and Mr. Michel Rwagasana, representatives The United Nations observer"had witnessed the scene. of the Union nationale rwandaise (UNAR), Mr. Barn­ In many cases UNAR candidates and members had abas Bahizi and Mr. Alexandre Rutera, took places been the victims of threats and brutal treatment. at the Committee table. 6. There had been cases in which young people of less 3. The CHAIRJy!AN invited Mr. Kayihura to continue than eighteen years of age had voted, and others in the statement whichhehadbegunatthe 1268th meeting. which voters had voted more than once, taking advan­ tage of the fact that there had been no indelible ink at 4. Mr. KA YIHURA (Union nationale rwandaise), taking the centre where they had been enrolled; some had up the subject of the elections themselves, said that been allowed to vote without a registration card, while the day of 25 September 1961, which the United Na­ in other cases refugees favouring UNAR had been tions Commission had regarded as a success in that refused access to the polls. Those irregularities had the population had been able to go to the polls in an been accompanied in most cases by brutal acts; at atmosphere of order and calm, admittedly appeared some centres, members of UNAR had even been to have passed in relative tranquillity, in contrast to drowned; elsewhere they had merely been driven the disturbances which had marked the pre-electoral away. In a number of specific cases, Belgian super­ period. The fact was, however, that intimidation had visors had passively witnessed the irregularities, been general on that day, there had been many irre­ which had taken place openly, or had even refused to gularities and serious incidents had occurred in a intervene when asked to do so. large number of communes. The irregularities had in fact begun the day before the elections. After the 7. The frauds had continued when the ballot boxes had electoral campaign had officially closed, officials of been opened. For example, invalid ballot papers had the Belgian Administration, active members of the been counted to the credit of PARMEHUTU. In the Parti du mouvement de !'emancipation hutu (PARME­ commune of Mukarange, when the boxes had been HUTU), prefects and burgomasters had travelled opened UNAR envelopes had been torn up and replaced about the State telling the people that the Mwami by PARMEHUTU envelopes and, at the close of the Kigeli V had been taken prisoner by the Belgian Ad­ operations, there had been more ballots than enrolled ministration and ·that they should not compromise voters. In another centre, a Belgian supervisor, re- 691 A/C,4/SR.1269 692 General Assembly - Sixteenth Session - Fourth Committee volv~r in hand, had forced the UNAR representatives Rwanda was well on the way. Reintegration could not to sign the record, although they had been kept at a be achieved unless peace and security were restored distance during the counting operations. In the com­ to Rwanda. As the political disturbances were at the mune of Rukara, the United Nations observer had root of the refugee problem, there could be no hope tried: to restore order and legality, but after his de­ of an equitable solution of that problem unless steps parture the irregularities had been resumed with were first taken to improve the political situation. renewed vigour. 12. The question of the union of Rwanda and Burundi 8. Iri the case of the district of Kisenyi, on the day was of primary importance. From the ideological before the elections, active members of UNAR had point of view, African unity was a goal towards which been expelled from several communes and the election all the countries of Africa must strive; from the ethnic day had been marked by acts of violence. In the eve­ and linguistic point of view, the prospects of achieving ning of 25 September, the disturbances had started a lasting union in Ruanda-Urundi were unusually good; again and "mopping-up operations n had been carried from the geographical point of view, there was no out at the homes of all UNAR members. denying that the Territory formed a single unit; and 9. In general it was the districts of Nyanza, Astrida from the economic point of view, it would be unwise and Kibuye which had suffered the most, and the to separate the two States composing the Territory exodus of refugees had recommenced at an increased by customs barriers. The Belgian Administration, rate. ·The disturbances had continued intermittently however, far from trying to achieve a union, had on since· that date, and at the present time there was the contrary blocked all measures and initiatives in once l!lgain a state of emergency in Rwanda. He there­ that direction: no political movement embracing both fore considered that Mr. Kayibanda's statement, ap­ States had been authorized and no meetings of local pearing in document T/PET.3/L.142, carried cyni­ leaders had been planned. At the present stage, there­ cism to an extreme when it declared that order had fore, the two states were evolvingtowards separation, been completely restored and that the people contem­ and the factors favouring union were becoming weaker: plated the future with confidence. the two regimes, like the conditions in the two states, 10. With regard to thequestionoftheMwami, UNAR's were different. In the view of UNAR, one of whose position was well known: that party had always con­ major objectives was the achievement of a "single, sidered Kigeli V an indispensable factor in ensuring united and composite Staten, in accordance with Gen­ the up.ity of the country and a sincere supporter of eral Assembly resolution 1605 (XV), the United Na­ Rwandese nationalism. There could be no doubt that tions should begin consultations immediately with all the Administering Authority, in opposing his return, the leaders of the indigenous peoples of the Territory had gone half-way towards ensuring the victory of with a view to finding a solution which would guaran­ PARMEHUTU. The timely return of the Mwami would tee the best possible future for the Territory. In his have restored a certain balance between the opposi­ own view there were two indispensable preliminary tion parties and the parties in power and would have conditions for the achievement of union: the presence been a decisive factor in bringing about national re­ at the negotiations of an impartial arbiter-the United conciliation. In acting as it had done, the Belgian Ad­ Nations in the present case-and the restoration of ministration had given PARMEHUTU a trump card, order and peace in Rwanda. If Belgian trusteeship was which that party had used to the greatest possible terminated, if the United Nations undertook to be the advantage in its electoral propaganda. desired arbiter, promoted meetings between the qualified leaders of the two States and informed the 11. Turning to the tragic question of the refugees various sectors of opinion, there might be hope that from Rwanda, he said that they numbered about some form of broad union would be achieved before 300,000, or 12 per cent of the total population of the long. State. The problem, which was basically political but also lit human problem, was becoming increasingly 13. The future of Ruanda-Urundi was a grave and serious. UNAR had made several approaches to the complex problem in which the prestige of the United local :Administration, the United Nations Commission Nations was deeply involved: the dramatic events in and tl).e Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs in an Rwanda and their deplorable consequences-the refu­ endeayour to put an end to the cruel predicament of gee problem in particular-and the future of the polit­ those ·people, whose only crime was their political ical institutions of the Territory and of its economy convictions or their ethnic origin. The Office of presented problems which were not easy to solve. It the Ullited Nations High Commissioner for Refugees would have been easier to solve them ifthose respon­ had e~en sent a representative to make an on-the-spot sible-the United Nations, the Administering Authority investigation of the magnitude of the problem. Unfor­ and the representatives of the indigenous peoples­ tunately, the return of the refugees, which had been had all had the same desire for co-operation. The in­ reco~l:nended by the General Assembly, had come up tervention of the United Nations, however, had been against the unwilling attitude of the local·authorities, regarded by Belgium as tiresome interference, which who hltd used every means at their disposal including explained the policy of the fait accompli adopted by violence, to drive the refugees from the country. Even the Administering Authority: the communal elections the joint commissions for refugees mentioned in the of June-July 1960, the Gitarama "coup de force", the report of the United Nations Commission for Ruanda­ formation of the Government of Burundi as a result Urundi (A/4994 and Add.1 and Corr.1, para.184) had of the so-called indirect elections. Furthermore, the been unable to achieve any positive results, although implementation of General Assembly resolutions 1579 they had done their best. He cited several examples (XV), 1580 (XV) and 1605 (XV) had been very incom­ to show that the Administration was now trying to ex­ plete. The Fourth Committee was therefore faced with pel most of the refugees who had been resettled in the two questions: were the most recent elections in the different districts, on the pretext of reintegrating Territory valid and could they serve as a basis for them. Yet, at the 1117th meeting of the Third Commit­ viable political institutions? What measures shouldbe tee, tb,e Belgian representative had made the outra­ taken to guide the Territory swiftly and peacefully to geous claim that the reintegration of the refugees from full independence? 1269th meeting- 24 January 1962 693 14. For its part, UNAR contested the validity of the persecution. He read out a letter which the chairman legislative elections and the referendum of 25 Septem­ of UNAR had sent to Colonel Logiest, the represen­ ber in Rwanda and thus endorsed the view expressed tative of Belgium in Rwanda, on 12 January 1962. In by the United Nations Commission in paragraph465of that letter, Mr. Rutsindintwarane recalledthat,during its report, but it did not agree with the personal view an interview which had taken place on 11 January 1962, expressed by the Chairmanofthe Commission in para­ Major Tulpin, the Chief of the Security Police, had graph 467 that "a positive attitude to the elections told him officially that some Belgian citizens had been would undoubtedly bring ••• an element of stability 11 , attacked at Gabiro during the night of 10 January and for Rwanda was on the verge of a civil war, which that one of them was reported to have died and three would certainly break out if the elections were de­ others to have been seriously wounded. Major Tulpin clared valid. The answer to the second question was had also stated that that was the reasonfor the arrest much more complex. and required great clear-sighted­ of the two UNAR deputies to the Legislative Assembly ness and realism. To solve the problem, the United and of the Chairman of the party and the Provincial Nations must ensure that Ruanda-Urundi was spared Chairman at Kigali. Taking an unequivocal stand on the setbacks and disturbances which other Territories the matter, UNAR had stated that, in accordance with in a similar position had experienced, but the desire its statute and its fundamental principles, it categor­ to grant early independence should not prevail over ically condemned all acts of violence, terrorism or the necessity for real independence. As the Prime banditry, by whomsoever committed, for whatsoever Minister of Tanganyika had stated at the 1078th ple­ motive and whoever might be the victims. The party nary meeting of the General Assembly, the only choice was convinced that, if everyone would co-operate, the where colonialism was concerned lay between the agents of the law would succeed in arresting those who achievement of independence by the colonized coun­ were responsible for the crime at Gabiro. The party tries immediately and their achievement of indepen­ refused however, to believe that it was accused, either dence in an orderly manner under the supervision of directly or indirectly, of direct or hidden participation an international organization. That was why UNAR in that affair. Hence any statement to the effect that was pressing for the withdrawal of the Belgian troops the party said that it disowned the authors of the crime and officials and for effective assistance from the at Gabiro was tendentious. United Nations, to make it possible for peace and 18. In spite of this statement of the party's position, order to be restored, the refugees to be reintegrated, four UNAR deputies had been arrested on 18 January new and more democratic elections to be held and .1962, without having first been deprived of their par­ the union between Rwanda and Burundi to be promoted. liamentary immunity. Two members of the party's The United Nations would thus ensure the success of political bureau had been detained in a special prison the transitional period, lasting about six or eight and the Chairman of the party had been provisionally months, which would precede independence. That was released. The Executive Committee of his party in­ the only way in which it could play its part and save tended to seek asylum abroad. In his view, Colonel the Rwandese people from the threat of civil war and Logiest was inciting the present Government of economic paralysis. If those measures were to be Rwanda to commit such acts. He deplored the fact applied, however, they would have to be the fruit of that the Belgian Minister for Foreign Affairs had compromise taking account of the actual situation. never been able to prevent his representative in UNAR was willing to agree on a compromise with all Rwanda from violating democratic principles in that the parties concerned. way and he hoped that the United Nations would be able 15. Mr. RUTERA said that he had only a few com­ to live up to the responsibilities it had assumed under ments to add to the detailed statements made by Mr. the Trusteeship Agreement. Rwagasana and Mr. Kayihura. One of the profound 19. Mr. ACHKAR (Guinea) expressed concern at the causes of the present division, discontent and incom­ events described, which might re-open the whole ques­ patibility in Rwanda was probably something that had tion of Rwanda's development. He asked whether the been handed down to them by their history: the Administering Authority was aware of them and could Rwandese had probably inherited both the qualities inform the Committee of the circumstances in which and the defects of their Belgian guardians, who were those recently-elected representatives had been ar­ themselves deeply divided into Flemings and Walloons. rested. Belgium's lack of experience in colonization was another cause of the present situation in the Terri­ 20. Mr. YOMEKPE (Ghana) asked the petitioners if tory. At the 1266th meeting, Mr. Rugira, the Presi­ UNAR included both Bahutu and Batutsi and to what dent of the Legislative Assembly of Rwanda, had ethnic group the leaders of the party belonged. spoken of the criminal acts and of the cruelty of the 21. Mr. RWAGASANA (Union nationale rwandaise) Bami. He wondered whether he ought not rather to said that, as he had already explained on several have spoken of the criminal acts and cruelty of those occasions, a majority of the members of UNAR were who were the Bami1s counsellors, i.e., the officials Bahutu. The present head of the party was a Hutu, as of the all-powerful Administering Authority, who had were the honorary Chairman and many members of the supported the sovereigns of the two States for the party's Central Committee, Executive Council and last foJ:ty years. Such an attitude was incompatible Congress. Of the seven UNAR representatives elected with the civilizing mission of the Belgian Adminis­ to the Legislative Assembly, two were Batutsi and tration, which was supposed to be guiding Ruanda­ five Bahutu. Urundi towards justice and constitutional government. 22. Mr. YOMEKPE (Ghana) asked the petitioners, as 16. He would submit a further communication, deal­ he had already asked the representatives of the Ter­ ing more particularly with the problems of the mon­ ritory's two States, what ties existed between the archy in Rwanda, at a later date. Bahutu of Rwanda and those of Burundi, and between the Batutsi of the two States. 17. Mr. RWAGASANA (Union nationale rwandaise) gave the Committee some very recent information 23. Mr. KAYIHURA (Union nationale rwandaise) ex­ which showed that UNAR was the victim of intolerable plained that each of the three groups in Rwanda and 694 General Assembly - Sixteenth Session - Fourth Committee Burundi, i.e., the Bahutu, the Batutsi and the Batwa, 29. Mr. RUTERA said that there appeared to be no were ethnically identical. Their social relationship, possibility of a reconciliation in the State of Rwanda. which had not been very close before the colonial era, Even in the United Nations, the members of PARME­ remained of course to be determined. HUTU seemed to be under surveillance and remained 24. Mr. RUTERA endorsed those observations. unapproachable. 30. Regarding the composition of the party, he re­ 25. Mr. LAPIAN (Indonesia) said that the information so far placed before the Committee could not but leave peated the information already given to the represen­ its members perplexed, and the Committee's present tative of Ghana. There was a Hutu majority among the members of the party and its leaders, who even in­ inability to find a solution which would satisfy all the parties concerned was a source of grave concern. cluded a Twa. The refugees themselves were mostly There were apparently serious conflicts between sev­ Bahutu. The so-called tribal war between the Bahutu eral large groups of the Rwandese population. What was and the Batutsi was hardly more than a propaganda more, the question of the unity of the Territory's myth. people was fundamental, being a prerequisite for final 31. Mr. ABDEL WAHAB (United Arab Republic) said solutipn. If the elections in Rwanda had taken place in he had noted Mr. Rwagasana's statement that UNAR an atmosphere of tranquillity, the basic problem would had submitted many complaints to the United Nations have been less serious, whatever the results of the Commission concerning the attitude of the burgo­ consultation had been. Responsibility for the lack of masters and the irregularities said to have taken unity did not lie with the people of the Territory, who place before and during the elections. He asked if had been victimized by colonialism. But they should Mr. Rwagasana knew what steps the Administration henceforth understand that unity was their best weapon or the United Nations Commission had taken to pre­ against colonialism. vent such irregularities. 26. Mr. Rugira, who was one of the leaders of 32. Mr. RWAGASANA (Union nationale rwandaise) PARMEHUTU, had said that his party was prepared said that he had submitted to the United Nations Com­ to make every reasonable effort to co-operate with mission several reports in which UNAR had complained the opposition parties. While it was for the parties to of the attitude of the Administration and the burgo­ make it clear what they meant by such co-operation, masters, individually or collectively. The United Na­ there were grounds for hoping that the gulf between tions Commission had consistently stated that it would the two main parties would be narrowed in the future. take the matter up with the Administering Authority, Accordingly, he would like to know whether the oppo­ while explaining that, under its terms of reference, sition parties would agree to a reconciliation with the it could only draw attention to the situation and could party now in power. Secondly, he asked the petitioners not take any other specific action. He had had occa­ if they were in a position to state specifically whether sion, for example, to point out to a member of the they had had preliminary talks with Mr. Rugira. Commission that, after the looting of which he, Mr. Rwagasana, had been a victim, a burgomaster had 27. At the beginning of the discussion, the impression been seen wearing clothingbelongingtohim. The Com­ had been created that the major source of conflict lay mission had informed him that the fact had been re­ in the tribal hostility between the Bahutu and the ported and that the culprit had been fined, but he had Batutsi, and not in ideological differences. He would had no confirmation of that statement and did not therefore like to know whether the opposition parties represented the Tutsi group alone or whether their know whether penalties had actually been applied. members came from all sectors of the Rwandese 33. Mr. ABDEL WAHAB (United Arab Republic) said population. that the Chairman of the United Nations Commission had referred to the establishment of joint commissions 28. Mr. RWAGASANA (Union nationale rwandaise) said tpat there was an atmosphere of distrust between to assist in the resettlement'of the refugees. Accord­ the UNAR and PARMEHUTU parties which made a ing to Mr. Rwagasana, those commissions had done real rapprochement difficult. In any case, the rep­ excellent work, but had only been able to meet once. resentatives of UNAR had still received no evidence He asked for further information on the subject. to suggest the possibility of an immediate rapproche­ 34. Mr. RWAGASANA (Union nationale rwandaise) ment.! In a letter of 18 January 1962, addressed to him explained that, after the commissions had held one by the Chairman of the party, he had learnt that rela­ or two meetings, the district administrators who had tions :between the Government and UNAR had been presided over their work had forbidden them to meet broken off and that all members of the Government in order to prevent UNAR from demonstrating its were 'avoiding the representatives of UNAR. That at­ desire to co-operate with PARMEHUTU and from tit;ude: was encouraged by the Belgian representative, entering into contact with the PARMEHUTU leaders. who had already incited the representatives of PARME­ The refugees had thus been left to their fate. HUTU to make the formation of a broad-based care­ taker government possible. The meeting rose at 12.55 p.m.

Litho in: U.N. 77401-July 1962-2,525