Partij van de Arbeid

Den Haag, 12 februari 2003

Vragen van de Leden Koenders en Dijksma (beide PvdA) aan de minister van Buitenlandse Zaken en de staatssecretaris voor Ontwikkelingssamenwerking

1.

Bent u op de hoogte van de moeizame samenwerking tussen de Rwandese regering en het ICTR, (het gaat hierbij onder meer om het tegenwerken van het uitreizen van getuigen) 2)?

2.

Kunt u aangeven op welke wijze Nederland de pogingen van het Rwanda Tribunaal en aanklager Carla del Ponte om de Rwandese regering tot samenwerking te bewegen, ondersteunt?

3.

Bent u ervan op de hoogte dat Ismael Mbonigaba, hoofdredacteur van Umuseso, de enige onafhankelijke krant in Rwanda, recentelijk is gearresteerd 1)? Deelt u het sterke vermoeden, van onder meer twee Rwandese mensenrechtenorganisaties, dat het hier om een arrestatie gaat op grond van politieke motieven?

4.

Bent u van mening dat de vrijheid van media een voorwaarde is voor het succesvol verlopen van het referendum over de grondwet en de verkiezingen in Rwanda later dit jaar? Hoe beoordeelt u de arrestatie van Mbonigaba in relatie tot dit proces?

5.

Welke stappen heeft u ondernomen en bent u van plan te ondernemen om bij te dragen aan de vrijlating van Mbonigaba en tot een grotere vrijheid van media in dit voor Rwanda belangrijke verkiezingsjaar?

Zie de verklaring van de VN-Veiligheidsraad, code 'S/PRST/2002/39', over de betere samenwerking waartoe de Rwandese regering verplicht is inzake het Tribunaal en een bericht van UN Integrated Informations Networks, 'Justice Makes Slow Progress', 17 januari 2003.

2 Informatie van Icco en Kerkinactie

Z.O.Z.

Statement by the President of the Security Council

Colombia

ICTY/ICTR

New York, December 18, 2002

S/PRST/2002/39

At the 4674th meeting of the Security Council, held on 18 December 2002, in

connection with the Council's consideration of the item entitled

"International Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for

Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the

Territory of the Former Yugoslavia since 1991; International Criminal

Tribunal for the Prosecution of Persons Responsible for Genocide and Other

Serious Violations of International Humanitarian Law Committed in the

Territory of Rwanda and Rwandan Citizens Responsible for Genocide and Other

Such Violations Committed in the Territory of Neighbouring States, between 1

January 1994 and 31 December 1994", the President of the Security Council

made the following statement on behalf of the Council:

"The Security Council takes note of the report to the Security Council,

dated 23 July 2002, of the Prosecutor of the International Tribunal for

Rwanda (ICTR) (S/2002/938), of the letter to the President of the Security

Council, dated 26 July 2002 from the President of the ICTR (S/2002/847), of

the letter from the Permanent Representative of Rwanda, dated 26 July 2002,

enclosing the reply of the Rwandan Government to the Prosecutor's report

(S/2002/842), of the letter to the President of the Security Council, dated

8 August 2002, from the President of the ICTR, enclosing a Note of the ICTR

on the reply of the Rwandan Government (S/2002/923), and of the letter from

the Permanent Representative of Rwanda, dated 17 September 2002, enclosing a

letter from the Association of Survivors of Rwandan genocide.

"The Security Council also takes note of the letter to the President of the

Security Council, dated 23 October 2002, from the President of the

International Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia (ICTY) and of the letter to

the President of the Security Council, dated 25 October 2002, from the

Permanent Representative of Yugoslavia to the United Nations, enclosing a

Non-Paper.

"The Security Council reaffirms its support for the ICTR and ICTY (the

Tribunals), impartial and independent bodies, which contribute to the

maintenance of international peace and security and to bringing justice and

reconciliation to the people of the countries concerned.

"The Security Council recalls the mandatory obligation of all States,

including the Governments of Rwanda and Yugoslavia, under resolutions 955

(1994) and 827 (1993) and the Statutes of the Tribunals, to cooperate fully

with the Tribunals and their organs, including the duty to comply with the

requests by the Tribunals for the arrest or detention of indictees and their

surrender or transfer to the Tribunals, to make witnesses available to the

Tribunals, and to assist with the Tribunals' ongoing investigations.

"The Security Council stresses the importance it attaches to the full

cooperation by all States, particularly those directly concerned, with the

Tribunals.

"The Security Council also stresses the importance of constructive dialogue

between the Tribunals and the Governments concerned to resolve any

outstanding issues affecting the work of the Tribunals that arise in the

course of their cooperation but insists that such dialogue or lack of

dialogue must not be used by States as an excuse for failure to discharge

their obligations to cooperate fully with the Tribunals as required by

Security Council resolutions and the Statutes of the Tribunals.

"The Security Council will remain seized of the matter."