Rwandan Clashes Halted After U.N. Envoy Arrives

Rebel and army gunners clashed in Rwanda’s capital Tuesday despite a cease-fire but stopped the shelling shortly after a U.N. special envoy arrived in the city.

The envoy, Iqbal Riza of Pakistan, flew into Kigali’s airport Tuesday morning and moved into the city in an armored personnel carrier amid gunfire and exploding mortar shells.

The guns fell mostly silent after Riza reached U.N. headquarters. U.N. officials pleaded with both sides to extend the shaky cease-fire a day to allow Riza to complete talks with government officials.

U.N. officials had requested a truce for Monday and Tuesday to allow Riza to meet with army and government officials about U.N. plans to take complete control of the airport and send 5,500 new peacekeepers to Rwanda. There are about 450 peacekeepers now in the Central African country.

Neither side responded to requests to extend the truce beyond its 6 p.m. deadline. U.N. officials said both sides had used the cease-fire to prepare for new hostilities.

Thousands of people, fearful the rebels would resume their offensive to take Kigali, took advantage of the lull to flee the capital.

U.N. spokesman Abdul Kabia said Riza held discussions with rebel leaders Monday at their stronghold in Mulindi, just south of the Ugandan border. Riza met Tuesday with the commanders of the army and was scheduled to meet with ministers from the interim government today.

Kigali’s airport is key to Riza’s mission because the United Nations plans to use it for relief flights and as a staging area for bringing in peacekeepers. However, his mission appeared to have been complicated when rebels overran the airport and the adjacent Kanombe army camp Sunday.