European Stars and Stripes (Newspaper) - August 16, 1994, Darmstadt, Hesse                                Page 4 the stars and stripes crisis in Rwanda tuesday August 16,1994u.n. Probes rumours of refugee killings by sue Palumbo staff writer Goma Zaire a . Officials said sunday that they have been unable to confirm rwandan refugees reports that those Soho return to Rwanda Are killed by waiting soldiers. But officials Stop Short of saying the reports Are false. A we have investigated several of the reports but not 100 percent because that would be impossible a said Panos Moumtzis spokesman for the . High com missioner for refugees. A we cannot Tell the refugees to go Home a nobody wants to take the responsibility of telling them that and then have the reports be  More than 2 million people a most of them huts a fled to nearby Zaire last month after thousands were killed following a bloody civil War with rival Tutsi. According to reports it was the huts who slaughtered thousands of Tutsi before Hutu leaders in fear of reprisals ushered their own people out of the country. Reports differ on whether the huts Are actually using the exodus As a Means of regrouping their armies. Many Relief workers say both sides did the killing that sparked the exodus. Nearby shots not directed at Goma gis officials say by sue Palumbo staff writer Goma Zaire a the not too Distant sound of gunfire has been familiar for . Military personnel and civilian news representatives at the Goma base Camp. None of the zairian military gunfire has been aimed at . Service members or the French troops camped nearby american officials said. A your Security now is Good because we have a Low to medium perceived criminal threat a said maj. Skip Davis joint task Force operations officer. A the shots Are from some uncontrolled sex or current zairian soldiers who Are harassing civilians. There have been no threats aimed at . Forces to  local zairian civilians attribute the gunfire to soldiers who have had too much to drink or who Are just fed up with the thousands of refugees. On thursday zairian soldiers sparked a riot when they shot a child who changed Money for foreigners. On Friday night a Drunken Soldier a upset that the stores were closed a emptied his clip into the air. On sunday night a frustrated zairian Soldier who missed the bus just a few Yards outside the . Military Camp fired his weapon into the air. . And French forces keep a constant Vigil Over the military Camps. A recent night Drill plunged the Camp into darkness and sent everyone scrambling to guard the perimeter armed with weapons and flak jackets. Davis said the Drill was strictly Standard operating procedure. Armed Security police escort every . Convoy that leaves the compound. Military personnel Are forbidden to leave the Camp on their own. Those on official assignments must return by Nightfall. A. Although some civilian journalists Are in downtown hotels Many Are camped out Between the . Military and the French troops. Media personnel pay local youngsters As much As $15 per Day to guard their tents against theft. A a the situation in Goma is not As stable As it is in other cities such As Entebbe Uganda a Davis said. A no one is threatening . Forces but you have this Small town which was engulfed by thousands of refugees plus you have . Military French zairian and rwandan military. That a a lot of people in a Small  Relief agencies and military forces from All Over the world have set up several refugee Camps and attempted to Stem starvation and disease. . Reports say there Are still hundreds of deaths per Day in the Camps scattered throughout Zaire. Cholera claims most of the lives along with dysentery typhoid meningitis and a hos of other diseases. Al on sunday . Military personnel flew in 1 million doses of Medicine to combat an anticipated epidemic of dysentery. Military personnel continue to pump thousands of Gallons of purified water to the refugees. As the refugees go into their second month of exile they also will have to combat the Rainy season. Moumtzis said Only about 50 percent of the thousands of makeshift grass huts have plastic coverings. He said Relief workers Are gearing up for More deaths from pneumonia and dysentery As the season begins. A the Only real answer is for them to go Back before it turns into another Gaza strip a a Moumtzis said referring to the palestinian refugee area in the Middle East. A but they must decide. We will help those who want to go  . Officials have been meeting with leaders on both sides to find a Compromise that will allow the ref. Gees to return without fear. Moumtzis has helped take several Small groups including tribal elders and some religious leaders Back across the Border for talks with the new rwandan government. Although the talks Are mildly encouraging he said the reality is hard to ignore. On a recent trip his . Car full of refugees had to pass through 25 rwandan patriotic front checkpoints. They were interrogated at gunpoint at each one he said. The United nations has been unable to persuade any of the most vocal hard liners to return to Rwanda even for a visit he added because the refugee leaders say their names Are on a Tutsi hit list. Relief workers in Goma said the refugee population has dropped there Over the last week. Moumtzis said Many have moved farther North to the mountains where there Are already Many huts. About 500 refugees Are returning to Rwanda each Day. A i cannot go Back to Rwanda because i know the ref will kill me a said 14-year-old habit aware whose head is still Healing from an ref Bullet wound. A they shot me once already. Why would 1 think they  again a making inroads a amps in go org. May be out in 2 months term Outlook Bleak officer says . Soldiers from cob 94th engr in Man Euver a flatbed truck with a Bulldozer through a Rural zairian Road As locals watch. The engineers based in Vilseck Germany Are building a Road for a refugee Camp to be called Catale ii. Kigali troops but nation s Long by Lance Gay Scripps Howard news service Kigali Rwanda a while Security in the rwandan refugee Camps deteriorates daily american officials overseeing the . Aid Effort Here say they Are Rushing to Complete their Mission and leave. Army col. James r. Mcdonough who is leading . Forces in Kigali said he expects that american service members will leave within two months. A in the main it will be a Short period of time a a month or two a said Mcdonough commander of the Southern european task forces inf brigade based in Vicenza Italy. The . Role in the capital was to reopen the destroyed Kigali Airport so that food supplies could be trucked to the main rwandan refugee Camps across the Border in Zaire a task that now has been largely accomplished since the american troops arrived two weeks ago. With the Airport now handling 25 flights of humanitarian supplies and food a Day Mcdonough said that once air traffic controllers Are hired and train red the task of running the Airport will be turned Back to the rwandans. All of the airports air traffic controllers were massacred in last months fighting and the Airport has Only some plumbers and electricians from jts prewar staff he said. Although he expressed optimism about the Success of the . Operation in Kiga lit it Mcdonough said he a far More pessimistic about Rwanda a future stability. A no i am not optimistic in the Long run a he said. A a in be never seen a country so devastated As  noting that the cycles of killings Between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes have been going on for four centuries he said there a Little Hope that the carnage will Stop now or that the outside world has any influence Over the conflict. Kigali which the Tutsi rebels captured from the Hutu led government last month remains Calm. However  service members travelling through that capital said that arms caches Are scattered throughout it and that the conflict could easily reignite. The situation in the refugee Camps i becoming even More precarious Ashuti strongmen seek to gain control Over that . Distribution network. Open fighting has erupted Between refugees Over foot and supplies in the Goma refugee Camp. Meantime . Aid officials reported that a fresh flood of refugees is stamped ing Over the Border of Zaire to a Camp a Bukavu in anticipation of the schedule departure later this month of French troops guarding a Safe zone in Southeast Era Rwanda. A we Are looking at 1 million people across the Border m the coming week a said Emery Brusset spokesman for the . Rwanda emergency office. He added that . Officials now fear a Bukavu disaster rivalling the deaths from bad water and disease in Goma Zaire