UNAMIR II - Australian Medical Support Force to Rwanda - Personal/Sub-Unit diary [ASC I COs diary LT Col P McIntosh] 25 Jul 1994 to 16 Dec 1994 - Part 5

Thursday 6 October
 [*Folio 108*]

The Sitrep for the period 060001 to

062200 is at folio 108

I conducted a radio interview

with UTO Townsville at 0600hr. It

was a local coverage, general interest

type interview.

I held a manning / establishment

review conference to fine tune the

organisation for the next rotation. It

was agreed that we would drop

one dental section, one punt med sect

and reorganise one of the CCP to

provide manning for a surge ward,

but still remain deployable. After

discussions with COMASC it became

clear that he wanted the organisation

scaled back. I see no sense in

this as I believe we must have

a flexible organisation that can handle

a crisis. Having the two deployable

CCP provides us with that flexibility.

It also give the doctors and medics

some variety. I asked COMASC to

redo his appreciation and to give

me my tasks, agreed by the FC,

so that I could determine my manning

objectively at present, there is a

likelihood that the UNAMIR mandate

will change. It could be either scaled

down or provided with Chap 7

powers. I see no sense in

reducing our medical capasility

until the future becomes clearer.

I had the unit do a 100%

weapons check today because it

was evident that weapons were

being signed over between individuals.

All weapons were accounted for.

The RSM and I did a lines inspection.

The soldiers lines are basic with

about 15 people living in a room

in bunk beds. The offr / SNCO / female

rooms are better but still very

small and basic. Some rooms have

been shot up rather badly. There is

no glass in the windows and there

is not hot water system.

The DFC gave the officers and SNCOs

a presentation on the situation in

Rwanda from Apr to the present. He

has been in country since 15 Jan 94

and was present during the war.

The presentation was video taped. It

was very interesting and gave us all

a better understanding of why and

how the war was waged.

One of my int SNCE, SSGT Nawichi,

has located a large number of message's

that had been dumped from the

neighbouring Army barracks. The messages

provide some very good back ground

about what was occuring in the

country prior to 6 Apr and

during the war. Some of the

information will probably be used

in the human rights violations

investigations. The FC has requested

that the messages be translated and

has offered two french speaking

NCOs to assist. The translated

messages will be grouped and

provided to the FC for his use.

Access Decisions - Statement of Reasons - See original

National Archives of Australia - See original

UNAMIR will be targeted. And when that

happens it will be a soft target that

gets hit. It will not be us. COMASC's

staff and the other AS staff at UNAMIR

HQ take few if any precautions and

do not follow any of my guidelines.

I have directed that they will not

undermine what I am doing and

that they will comply with my

rules when they visit my establishments

The RPA soldier that we have been

treating for 21 days in intensive

care died today. His body was

removed by the RPA. I will draft

guidelines for the admission and

treatment of cronically injured persons.

The RPA was clearly not going to survive

and has cost us a lot of resources.

We did it because he provided

excellent training for our ICU personnel.

Another local has been admitted

with a hammer injury to the head. He

will not survive. He was surposidly

attacked by bandits.

A teenage lad was also admitted

with very serious facial and abdominal

and hand injuries caused by a 

grenade with went off while he was

playing with it. He will lose both

eyes and most of the fingers on both

hands.

The officers' men had a BBQ dinner and

welcomed the new surgeons.

I addressed all of the officers today

about their leadership responsibilities as there

have been many incidents of officers ignoring directions.

The now clearly understand their responsibilities

and will be held accountable.

Saturday 8 October

[*Folio 110*]

The Sitrep for the period 080001

to 082200 B Oct is at Folio 110

The FC addressed us at 'prayers'

this morning that he was concerned

that UNAMIR had become complacent

about security and that we were

not prepared for the next crisis

which could happen sooner rather than

later. He advised that the President

or Rwanda has asked the UN Security

Council to place us on Chap 7.

THe concern I have is that we

are not doing what we should be

doing and can do under Chap 6.

And only the FC can direct the

Inf Battalions to use force if

necessary to fulfill our mandate.

At presnet, the infantry are not

patrolling at night, they are barred

access to a lot of areas by

the RPA and the power to intervene

for the protection of the population is

not being exercised. I seriously

doubt that the FC has a grip of

his operational powers or mission. The

unit CO certainly don't. No wonder

UNAMIR has been seriously accussed of

being in the hop pocket of the RPA.

AUSMED is not being affected, however. We

have not been restricted in doing our job,

and we do not let the RPA direct or

inhibit us. The do not get access

to our barracks or hospital unless they

come to visit a patient, and they do

that unarmed or they don't get in.

They weren't happy about these

arrangements at the start but they

know that we wont compromise

so they now wilfully comply.

Sunday 9 October

[*Folio 110*]

The Sitrep for the period 090001 to 092200

B Oct is at Folio 110

At 0600hr this morning two of our

soldiers drove over to the Belguim Village

where the UNAMIR HQ. officers live and

talked their way past the guard, which

was being provided by one of our

infantry sections, and stole the Force

Commanders number plate, UNAMIR 2.

We were alerted about the missing

number plate and the finger was pointed

a the section security picket who were

accused of either stealing it or not doing

their job properly. The penny dropped

as soon as the theft was advised and

PTE Lobie, the culprit, was apprehended.

The number plate was returned as was the

second number plate which had previously

been stolen. The driver was elated. I

will let Lobie sweat for a couple of

days.

We have had too soldiers diagnosed

with stress related problems, more through

work load than through exposure to

horrific events. They have both been

seen by the Brit Psychiatrist who will

continue to treat them.

Monday 10 October

[*Folio 111*]

[*Folio 112*]

The weekly sitrep for the period 3 to 9 Oct is

at folio 111.

The Sitrep for the period 100001 to 102200

Oct is at Folio 112

The addressed the matter of strategic

AME to the FMO today. Currenlty, there is

no Force SOP and responsibilities have not

been articulated. Up to now we were

lead to believe that the CA were responsible

for strategic AME but that is not the

case. I have asked that the matter be

addressed urgently.

I have also written to LHQ to have them

seek approval through UNNY for the contingent

to wear the slouch hat with the blue

puggaree. The wearing of the slouch

hat was agreed by the previous FC

but the current FC wants agreement

from UNNY.

I released Cpl Hyland, Sig Sect, to

take his ROCL early to go home and

attend his step sisters funeral and

to assist his brother to gain custody of

her children. The general circumstances of

what he wants to do fall outside the

straight provisions of compassionate leave.

The ROCL will get him a longer period in

Australia to assist his brother and will

provide some financial relief.

I tasked OC Med Coy today to comply

with my security rules and not to take

liberties. He has a tendency to pass on

his version of my rules to his troops and

then do his own thing.

I also tasked OC Med Coy to prepare

guidelines / policy for the screening and

management of HIV patients. He is

having a clinical meeting tomorrow

evening to agree a policy. I also

suggested that he should seek guidance

from the unit SMOs a the SMOs meeting

to be held on 11 Oct, especially

concerning who should inform the patients

that they are HIV (+), our MO or the

unit RMO.

I directed OC Med Coy also to

develop a protocol for treatment of

patients in ICU / HDU. Unless the staff

are working towards a play they will

not be able to remain objective about how

long the treatment will continue.

I applied to LHQ today for US$7000

to be retained from phone cards sales

to be used to purchase amenities

items required by the contingent. We

have been advised that 7.5% of

the value of sales can be used to

buy amenities items. As at early

Oct 94, we had sold US$54,000 of

phone cards.

[*Folio 113*]

The financial advisers September

Report is at Folio 113.

Tuesday 11 October

[*Folio 114*]

The Sitrep for the period 110001 B Oct to

112200 B Oct 94 is at enclosure 114

The RSM and I travelled to Nairobi to visit

the ASC movements staff and ADF LO to

ascertain first hand how they do their job

and what the manning and task requirements

are. We spent most of the day waiting at

airports, arriving at the hotel in Nairobi

at 1500hr after leaving the barracks at

0800hr - not bad for a one hour flight.

Wednesday 12 October

[*Folio 115*]

The Sitrep for 12 Oct is at Folio

115.

THe RSM and I spent most of the day

resting as one day of our Nairobi

visit was a rest day. We held

discussions with the movements staff

and the ADF LO and resolved

that the LO needed to be a

Captain movements officer and that

he needed to be supported by

a movements NCO. Also, there

are problems with communications

and the sharing of the only

vehicle. A summary of the outcome

of the discussion / observation is at

Folio 116

[*Folio 116*]

During the evening se had dinner

at Carnivors, an African game restaurant

with the movements staff.

Thursday 13 October

[*Folio 117*]

The Sitrep for 13 Oct is at folio 117.

The day was spent in Nairobi. The

RSM and I visited the High Commission

and had a lengthy discussion with

the Commissioner. He was concerned

about the situation deteriorating in

Rwanda and we discussed concerns

that I have about UNAMIR's confused

role. I advised that UNAMIR is not

willing to stand up to the RPA and

provide protection to all of the people

in Rwanda, which is our mandate.

I advised that UNAMIR is prepared to

go to Chapter VII but they are not

doing all that can be done under

Chapter VI. The Commissioner requested

that an Officer be retained in Nairobi

to perform the LO function but admitted

that the job was not a full time job.

I advised that I would push

to have the infantry major, MAJ Peter

Daries, replaced by a movements

Captain who could remain gainfully

employed doing two jobs.

We then visited the Renya Police in

an effort to have an MOU signed, agreeing

to release UNAMIR (AS) soldiers into

the custody of our LO if they were

arrested so that they could be

disciplined under the DFDA. The effort was

fruitless but the LO will continue

to try.

We also visited the airport freight

terminal, which was a real eye opener.

The visit confirmed the need for dedicated

movers on the ground and made me

appreciate the effort that had been put

by our movement staff to achieve

the turn around of goods in a 

reasonable timeframe without loss.

We also visited Kenya Air to

attempt to find out when they will

commence flying freight into

Rwanda. Again no advice could

be given and we were asked

to keep calling in.

Thursday ^Friday 14 October

[*Folio 117A*]

The Sitrep for 14 Oct is at Folio 117.

The RSM and I returned from Nairobi

AM today.

I conducted a CO Conference at

1330hr.

I visited the hospital for a ward round

in preparation for the Minister for Health's

visit on 15 Oct.

I attended a briefing by Charles

Petrie, UNREO, about on a peacekeeping

/ peacemaking conference that he had

attended in the UK. He presented

a pamphlet on the subject which

we obtained photocopies of. After the

briefing we heard from another

UNREO representative from Burundi

who described the situation in Burundi

to us. He advised that there was

a lot of unrest in Northern Burundi

and that there had been many

clashes between the largely RPA

army and the mostly HUTU population,

incited in many cases by the

Interhamwe who were coming in from

Zaire. The unrest had spread to

the border and could be the start

of general unrest in the Southern sector.

Saturday 15 October

[*Folio 118*]

The Sitrep for 15 Oct is at Folio 118

It was reported today that many DPs

are moving back to camps in sector H

because of the intimidation by the

RPA. Also, the DPs are starting to

retaliate against the RPA and isolated

attacks are occuring.

The Zambian Battalion has been deployed

yet again and the Indian Battalion is

not likely to arrive before 28 Oct,

which means that we must retain

our security tasks in Kigali until then.

I had an interview with the

Editor of the Defender magazine.

The Minister for Health visited

the hospital at 1000hr. He was

very impressed by what we had

achieved and particularly with

the support that we had provided

to get CHK working. He asked

us to continue to train the

local staff and we detailed the

training programme to him.

Sunday 16 October

[*Folio 119*]

[*Folio 120*]

[*Folio 121*]

The Sitrep for 16 October is at Folio 119

The Weekly Sitrep for the period

10 to 16 Oct 94 is at Folio 120

The Weekly medical sitrep is at

Folio 121

It was reported at prayers today that

a MILOB had had his UN vehicle stolen

from him a gun point from a

nightclub that was out of bounds,

after midnight, while he was off duty.

The vehicle was stolen by uniformed

RPA. In typical UN fashion, no

disciplinary action is likely to be

taken.

SO1 Plans complained to me this

morning about the level of security being

provided by my section at Belgium

gardens, the HQ UNAMIR accommodation.

I investigated the matter and increased

the security to two sections to provide

better coverage and introduced a

very strict regime which we will

no doubt be asked to relax within

the week. The section that had been

providing the security had attempted

to obtain essential information, such as

who lived in which buildings etc

but to no aval. The FC got upset

when somebody knocked on his door

late at night because our security

had let them through the gate. The

matter is now well and truely in

hand.

Monday 17 October

[*Folio 122*]

The sitrep for 17 October is at folio 122.

Reports at prayers indicate that the

general situation in Rwanda is

continuing to deteriorate. The RPA is

becoming more and more aggressive

towards UNAMIR and the DP

are becoming more frightened.

I discussed security tasking with

CO Rifle Coy and agreed the following:

a. two sect Belgium Gardens

b. two sect CHK

c. two sect TSG

d. one sect King Faycal Hospital

e two sect HQ / Accommodation,

to include QRF for Kigali.

This tasking is very thin as convoy

escorts are also required.

I visited all of the Kigali

rifle sections to confirm their

exact tasks on the ground.

I discussed difficulties with the

provisioning of pharmaceutical items with

the Pharmacist, OC Med Coy and the SMO.

We agreed the priority for items and

resolved that the Pharmacist would

visit Nairobi to arrange local

procurement, using the $70000 delegation

of the Snr Log Offr in UNAMIR. I

proposed to UNAMIR HQ that we

purchase the rest items that cannot

be obtained from AS on a cash

repayment basis as well. A decision

is yet to be made.

I attended a meeting with NGOs

during which we attempted to agree

a support programme. We advise them

of the support that we could provide

and told them that we were not going to

get involved in NGO politics but cared

only about treating patients. We received

very little response as the NGOs care

more about protecting their empires than

they do about caring for patients. I

directed the OC Med Coy to write to

them and advise that we would

be providing MO and NO in their

wards to help the local people. If

they resist we will go to the Minister

and obtain his support as he, like

us, has had a gut full of self

interested NGOs. I authorised the

surgeons to work up at King Faycal

hospital to attempt to reduce the

surgery list until sufficient work was

available at CHK.

We continued to work on the

review of the establishment for the next

rotation. A copy of the medical

appreciation is at Folio 123

[*Folio 123*]