ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Sunday, November 17, 1996 TAG: 9611180073
SECTION: NATIONAL/INTERNATIONAL PAGE: A-1 EDITION: METRO
DATELINE: GISENYI, RWANDA
SOURCE: From The New York Times and The Washington Post
Facing an avalanche of ragged humanity, Rwandan troops and aid workers gave up on holding Rwandan refugees in a temporary camp near the border Saturday. Instead, they directed them to march straight into the country without formalities.
The column of refugees stretched for at least 28 miles on both sides of the border. In Rwanda, the road was a solid mass of refugees for 15 miles. The backups along the roads were so severe Rwandan troops closed the border at 4 p.m. until this morning.
The exodus began Friday after Zairian rebels with ties to Rwanda attacked a major refugee camp and routed Hutu militia members who had prevented refugees from returning. The attack broke a stalemate between Zaire and Rwanda over the presence of the refugee camps on the border, which had become bases for ethnic Hutu guerrillas fighting Rwanda's Tutsi-led government.
All day Saturday, refugees marched across the border post in the Zairian town of Goma at a rate some aid workers estimated at 15,000 or more an hour.
The fast return will delay the start of an international military rescue mission in Zaire at least until Tuesday, when representatives of nations contributing troops will meet in Stuttgart, Germany, to assess the fast-changing situation, senior U.S. officials said Saturday.
The likely result of meetings in Washington, Europe and Canada between now and Tuesday will be fewer troops, going to different places, carrying different equipment than originally planned, senior officials said.
President Clinton, in his weekly radio address, and Defense Secretary William Perry said Saturday the force is still needed. However, Perry said, if the homeward migration continues, ``it will change substantially the nature of the humanitarian problem in the region. It will not eliminate the need for humanitarian support, but it will substantially change the nature of that need.''
Clinton conferred with the leaders of Canada, France, Britain and South Africa, all prospective contributors to the planned force of more than 10,000 troops, administration officials said.
He said Saturday that ``as the world's most powerful nation, we cannot turn our back when so many people - especially so many innocent children - are at mortal risk.
``Hundreds of thousands of people are in desperate need. This is the right thing to do.''
Canada's Defense Ministry said Saturday that it had flown a reconnaissance team of 24 soldiers and three Hercules transport planes to Kigali, Rwanda, in the first operation of the Canadian-led mission.
Canadian officials said the flights were approved by the Rwanda government, although Rwandan officials have said the international force may no longer be necessary. Rwandan diplomats asked Friday that the mission be at least redesigned to channel aid to returning refugees and the Rwandan localities that must absorb them.
Joseph Simiryango was one of thousands straggling into their home villages Saturday. After two years in exile and two days of hard walking, Simiryango, 45, found his roof caved in and his farm stolen.
But his face lit up with joy when he found his father alive.
``I will go to ask the government to return my farm,'' he said. ``We have nothing. I don't know if I will eat. I'm very worried.''
LENGTH: Medium: 69 lines ILLUSTRATION: PHOTO: AP. A Hutu father pushes his four children andby CNBbelongings among refugees leaving a camp in Zaire for Rwanda on
Saturday. color.