Belgium, France to Aid Rwanda Against Invading Rebels

Belgium and France said Thursday they were sending troops and other military aid to Rwanda as government troops battled rebels 40 miles from the capital of this Central African nation and neighboring nations shored up their borders.

Belgium, the former colonial power, said troops will leave for Rwanda without delay to protect about 1,600 Belgian citizens here, and France said 150 troops were on the way to protect its 700 citizens and its embassy in Kigali.

The French Foreign Ministry said in a statement that it was concerned about ethnic strife in Rwanda, invaded Sunday by Rwandan refugees from Uganda seeking to oust President Juvenal Habyarimana. France has also agreed to provide weapons and ammunition, diplomatic sources said.

The tiny landlocked country requested military intervention earlier this week, saying it needed help to repulse the attackers who have deserted en masse from the Ugandan army.

Uganda has sealed its frontier with Rwanda in an attempt to stop more desertions, and neighboring Burundi said it was reinforcing border controls to stop any Rwandan refugees on its territory from joining the rebels.

A diplomatic source here said that Rwandan forces, using helicopters and cannons, blocked the rebels with a counterattack Wednesday and Thursday near Gabiro, 40 miles northeast of Kigali.

“Frankly, the tide has turned,” the diplomat said. “It’s not looking good for the rebels.”

Sources in Kigali said the capital was operating normally, although roadblocks were set up and paramilitary police were on the streets.