Zairean Troops, in Mustard-Colored Uniforms, Prepare to Police the Refugee Camps

I also went back to Goma in mid-January 1995, just before the first Zairean troops hired by the United Nations to bring law and order to Rwandan refugee camps were expected to begin patrolling the violence-plagued facilities. I in fact attended ceremonies marking the formal commissioning of the first contingent of the special security unit and filed this report:

One hundred fifty special Zairean camp police, sporting distinctive new mustard-colored uniforms, assembled for the first time at a hastily-built military compound adjacent to the Sprawling Kibumba refugee camp outside Goma.

On hand for the commissioning ceremonies were the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Sadako Ogata, and Zaire's Minister of Defense, Mavua Mudima.

Mr. Mavua told the soldiers they would face a major challenge when they begin deploying into the camps. The minister said their mission would include the protection of relief workers and the prevention of extremist attacks on refugees considering repatriation to Rwanda. He urged the troops to be disciplined and to treat the refugees as brothers and sisters.

Last year, poorly paid Zairean soldiers were accused of adding to the chaos in the camps through attacks on refugees and the looting of relief supplies.

For her part, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, Mrs. Ogata, called the mission an important one. She acknowledged there have been many cases of intimidation against refugees. But she stressed the Zairean units will not try to separate members of the former Rwandan army and extremist militia from ordinary refugees, a move that has been repeatedly urged by foreign diplomats, aid officials and even some senior UN authorities to halt the harassment of would-be returnees.

“It is not a force that is going to divide people, the perpetrators from the innocent. That is not the objective. It is strictly a law and order maintenance force. And this is as far as my office can go. But, at the same time, if it is effectively done, it should have implications that would contribute to solution of refugee problems.”

Although the troops paraded in front of Mrs. Ogata carried automatic weapons, Carol Faubert, the UN official who negotiated the arrangement, said it has not been decided whether they will carry guns when they begin their round-the-clock patrols in the camps.

“We have agreed that the rules of engagement would be decided jointly between the Zairean command and ourselves. We are now in the process of discussing those rules of engagement.”

Ultimately, 15 hundred Zairean troops will be deployed at refugee camps in both the Goma and Bukavu areas, where in all more than a million Rwandans are now concentrated. They will not, however, begin their patrol work until the first of an expected 40 foreign police advisors arrive to work with them. UN officials hope a dozen or so advisors will be in place by the end of the week.

The United Nations is providing the Zaireans with communications equipment, vehicles, tents, food and other supplies as well as a daily allowance of three US dollars per soldier.

It marks the first time the UN High Commission for Refugees has ever hired soldiers of a national army to undertake a humanitarian mission in their own country. The UN adopted the unusual plan after failing to enlist support for more ambitious schemes that would have required foreign troops.