VZCZCXRO1270
RR RUEHAG RUEHRN RUEHROV
DE RUEHFR #0186/01 0181035
ZNY CCCCC ZZH
R 181035Z JAN 07
FM AMEMBASSY PARIS
TO RUEHC/SECSTATE WASHDC 4245
INFO RUEHXR/RWANDA COLLECTIVE
RUCNMEM/EU MEMBER STATES
RUCNDT/USMISSION USUN NEW YORK 1094

C O N F I D E N T I A L SECTION 01 OF 02 PARIS 000186 

SIPDIS 

NOFORN 
SIPDIS 

E.O. 12958: DECL: 01/18/2017 
TAGS: PREL PGOV KJUS INTERPOL RW FR
SUBJECT: RWANDA: EFFECT OF BRUGUIERE REPORT ON USG, STATUS 
OF MRS. HABYARIMANA 

REF: NICODEMUS/PALMER/D'ELIA/KAMINSKI/KANEDA E-MAILS 

Classified By: Political Minister-Counselor Josiah Rosenblatt, 1.4 (b/d 
). 

¶1. (C/NOFORN) SUMMARY: XXXXXXXXXXXXl told us January 12 
that Judge Bruguiere's November 17 report recommending the 
prosecution of President Kagame and requesting the arrest of 
nine of his associates had been forwarded to Interpol. He 
noted that it was incumbent on the U.S. to make its own 
determination as to whether the U.S. was subject to any legal 
obligations as a result. Belgium and the UK have informed 
France that they will honor the arrest warrants if any of the 
nine arrive in their territories and will do so pursuant to 
an EU agreement covering such matters. The same official 
said that former-President Habyarimana's widow, who had 
recently lost a French court case on her request for 
political asylum, planned to appeal. The case was thus not 
yet closed, and Rwanda had not, contrary to media reports, 
"officially" requested her arrest in connection with the 1994 
genocide. Separately, XXXXXXXXXXXX conceded that the GOF had given Bruguiere the green  light to issue his report, in response to Rwanda's continuing  probes into, and allegations concerning, France's role in the  events of 1994 in Rwanda; the same source surmised that the  GOF had miscalculated and had not envisioned the severe  measures Rwanda would take in response
 END SUMMARY. 

ARREST WARRANTS 

¶2. (C) MFA Rwanda desk officer Laurent Chevallier said on 
January 12 that Judge Bruguiere's November 17 report on 
events in 1994 concerning the death of then-Rwandan President 
Habyarimana and recommending the prosecution of President 
Kagame and calling for the arrest of nine of his associates, 
had been forwarded to Interpol. (We contacted Chevallier in 
response to ref A e-mails asking whether Bruguiere's report 
created any legal obligations for the U.S. should the 
individuals named seek to enter the U.S.) Chevallier said 
that he was not in a position to make determinations on U.S. 
legal obligations. The matter had been forwarded to 
Interpol, he repeated, but he was not certain how Interpol 
had proceeded. Chevallier was confident, however, that 
Bruguiere's report had the same effect as the issuance of 
international arrest warrants. He said that Belgium and the 
UK had already told the French that they would arrest those 
named should they enter their territories, based on 
Bruguiere's warrants. However, they would act not because of 
obligations regarding Interpol but rather in accordance with 
an EU agreement covering arrest warrants issued by member 
states. 

¶3. (C) Chevallier advised that the USG was the only entity 
that could determine whether the circumstances of this case 
and its relationship with Interpol placed any obligation on 
the U.S. concerning these individuals. "I'm sure you 
understand that as a French official, I really can't tell 
your government how this all affects you," he continued. He 
suggested that officials in Washington study the matter and, 
if necessary, work with Interpol to determine what, if any, 
obligations Washington might incur. 

MRS. HABYARIMANA 

¶4. (C) Chevallier commented briefly on the case of the 
widow of former Rwandan President Habyarimana. The press 
announced during the week of January 8 that a French court 
had refused her request to remain in France as a political 
exile, and also reported that Rwanda had insisted that she be 
arrested for her alleged role in the 1994 genocide. 
Chevallier referred to the January 11 MFA press briefing, 
during which the spokesperson noted developments in her case 
and denied that Rwanda had "officially" requested her arrest. 
Chevallier said that Mrs. Habyarimana's case was not closed, 
and that in fact she had already indicated an intention to 
appeal "before the end of January." Chevallier reiterated 
that, to his knowledge, Rwanda had not "officially" requested 
her arrest. He remarked dryly that it would be interesting 
if Rwanda did so, since it had "officially" severed 
diplomatic relations with France in response to the Bruguiere 
report. 

(C/NOFORN) GOF GAVE GREEN LIGHT TO BRUGUIERE, ACCORDING TO 
MFA DAS 

¶5. (C/NOFORN) In a recent conversation largely on other 
matters, XXXXXXXXXXXX
confided that the GOF had given Bruguiere the green 
light to issue his report. (NOTE: The party and public line 

PARIS 00000186 002 OF 002 

has been that Bruguiere, exercising his judicial 
independence, had done so without consulting other GOF 
elements. END NOTE.)XXXXXXXXXXXX 
said that France had wanted to reciprocate for 
Rwanda's taking steps to investigate France's 
alleged involvement in the 1994 genocide and its aftermath. 
XXXXXXXXXXXX 
said that the GOF had miscalculated, not foreseeing 
the strong measures (i.e., severing diplomatic relations) 
Rwanda would take in retaliation. (NOTE: XXXXXXXXXXXX



Please visit Paris' Classified Website at: 
http://www.state.sgov.gov/p/eur/paris/index.c fm 

STAPLETON