Indonesia considers assisting Rwandans

Indonesia considers assisting Rwandans

JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia is exploring the possibility of
providing humanitarian assistance to the civil-war torn Rwanda,
President Soeharto was quoted as saying yesterday.

The President discussed all the hardship that the Rwandan
people are facing and would see what Indonesia could do to help
them, visiting Kenyan Vice President George Saitoti told
journalists after meeting with Soeharto.

Saitoti, who is also minister for planning and development,
said the Rwandan tragedy was discussed during the meeting in
which he handed a letter from the Kenyan president to Soeharto.

An estimated half million Rwandans, mostly innocent civilians,
have been killed over the past few months of civil strife
involving Tutsi and Hutu ethnics. Tens of thousands of refugees
are reported to be starving and plagued with cholera.

Saitoti is here to attend a meeting on population in the Third
World countries.

He said the letter from the Kenyan president contained a
number of suggestions to follow-up on the meeting of the two
presidents in 1992 during the Non- Aligned Summit in Jakarta.

On Saturday, Saitoti met with Minister/Chairman of the
National Development Planning Board Ginandjar Kartasasmita,
during which the guest requested that Jakarta allow three Kenyan
officials to pursue comparative studies at the board.

Indonesian State Minister for Population/Chairman of the
Family Planning Coordinating Agency Haryono Suyono, who
accompanied Saitoti, said Kenya wished to buy gas, palm oil and
rubber from Indonesia. (pan)