Issued by: Department of Foreign Affairs
PRESS STATEMENT ON SOUTH AFRICAN HUMANITARIAN RELIEF ASSISTANCE TO RWANDA
Following an appeal by the Government of Rwanda and the international community and an offer made by President Mandela at the Summit Meeting on the ongoing crisis in the Great Lakes Region in Nairobi on Monday, 16 December 1996, the South African Government is dispatching a consignment of humanitarian relief supplies to Rwanda on Monday, 23 December 1996. The supplies, which consist of medication and food, will be handed over to the Rwandan authorities by the Deputy Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Aziz Pahad. The relief items are destined for distribution among the hundreds of thousands of Rwandan refugees who have recently returned - or are in the process of returning - to their country.
The delivery of humanitarian relief to Rwanda will be followed by the provision of similar supplies to Zaire in the near future, for distribution to refugees in that country. This was decided after consultation with the Zairean authorities, who conveyed their appreciation of the South African offer to be of assistance in this regard.
These scheduled deliveries underline the concern of the South African Government at the ongoing crisis in the Great Lakes Region and its commitment to assisting with finding a peaceful solution to the crisis. In this context, it will be recalled that the Government had offered to make a technical contribution to the multinational force which had been envisaged and sanctioned by the United Nations Security Council for the region. This force was, however, eventually not deployed due to the voluntary return of large numbers of Rwandan refugees to their country.
ISSUED BY THE DEPARTMENT OF FOREIGN AFFAIRS PRETORIA 22 DECEMBER 1996
Media enquiries: Marco Boni Cell: 083 2608734