Access the reasons for the international community being so unwilling to intervene in the rwandan genocide
Headings:
Introduction - Genocide statistics (Abstract)
Overview Of History
Historical Essay question answered
Overview Of History and Genocide statistics (abstract)
July 1994 casts a dark shadow over the people in Rwanda, marking the month the Worlds most ignored genocide began. Mass slaughtering by ethnic majority Hutu extremists to the minority Tutsi and moderate Hutu's. In just over 100 days, over 800,000 men, women and children were hacked to death. Prior to this on 9th December 1948, the UN pasted a resolution defining genocides and it's crime in International Law.
"Genocide means any of the following acts committed with the intent to destroy, in whole or part, a National ethnical, racial or religious groups".
However in the context of the Rwandan genocide, the UN refused to use this word despite the fact it was indeed occurring. It uncovers the true horrors and darker motive politicians have and questions humankind morals. Where was colonizer Belgium who introduced segregation with Ethnicity? Why did France and China provide the Hutu’s with weapons? Why did France train Hutu extremists? Why did the UN fail to respond to Rwanda’s plea for help? Why were peacekeepers not able to intervene in warfare but only spectators? This historical essay will answer these questions.
Who was responsible?
The cause of the Rwandan genocide is complex and controversial, the roots going back to pre-colonial period. Firstly to understand the issue we need to look at the ethnic groups in Rwanda. The Hutu made up 84% of the population, the Tutsis made up 15% and the Twa 1%. Historically, even prior colonization, the Tutsis had been the ruling class and controlled the country. Tutsis were traditionally the herdsmen from Northern Africa and the Hutu people worked the land. The Rwandans generally accepted this division because all ethnic groups spoke the same language, had the same religious beliefs, intermarried and lived side-by-side. Even being a Tutsi became more of a social class with anybody who owned 10 cows automatically being designated a Tutsi. European colonization is a major cause for driving a distinct division in ethnic classification; with Rwanda being imperialized by powers Germany and Belgium. It was part of colonial administration to select a class that they believed would help power and provide stability for the colony and be able to work well with the colonists, and they choose the Tutsis. Germany occupied Rwanda from 1895 – 1916 but was forced to seize its colony due to financial loss in World War One. Belgium then became the imperialistic force on Rwanda and emphasized further racial separation that Germany had. Both colonists failed to recognized the King, Mwami Rwabugiri and the rulers surrounding them, and instead chose a mere handful of Europeans to control Rwanda in any matter most beneficial to imperial interests. Because there were ethic differences prior to colonization, the European powers believed that they were just maintaining and strengthening the structure already in place. Belgium was the worst culprit in endorsing racist and institutional division between both classes, and they created an easy to control society resembling a well structure pyramid. In order to form this they would make racist comments and publicize differences between Tutsi and Hutus, identifying Tutsis as generally taller and skinner. They even went on stating that the Tutsi is related to the superior Caucasoid race from the Nile Valley with Christian origins and thus are more intelligent and ‘white-like’ than the Hutus. However it is very likely that 50% of Rwandans were ethnically mixed and had grandparents both Hutu and Tutsi. In 1926 – 32 Belgium commissioned identity cards, much like the cards given to Jewish people in the Holocaust, which showed age and ethnicity. These ethnic cards became basis for determining education and allocation of work. In the Belgium education system placed in Rwanda that consisted of primarily missionary schools ¾ students were Tutsis. Tragically it was these cards that became the key to enabling Hutu killers to identify Tutsis.
ESSAY: “Why was the Rwandan Genocide globally ignored?”.
This report is a historical investigation on the Rwandan Genocide that occurred in July 1994 where the Hutu ethnic extremists murdered the minority ethnic group Tutsi. The historical content to the genocide will be analyzed but more specifically this investigation deals with the question, “Why was the Rwandan Genocide globally ignored?”. The Rwandan genocide is one of the worlds most preventable genocides yet the International community failed to stop this atrocity. The reasons to why this is complex and controversial, and even hard to pinpoint today. Some reasons include the unwilliness coming from failure in Somalia and not understanding the difference between ethnic issues and external impacts in Rwanda. Secondly Rwanda being a poorer Country had no benefits to other Nations. France was one nation but only became significantly involved to uphold their international position but supported the genocide in a way that contributed to more death. Thirdly due to the medias failure to show the genocide to an international audience meant the genocide was over before many citizens knew and could pressure their Governments to become involved.
After the failed peacekeeping mission in Somalia in 1993, the US vowed to not be involved in any more missions they did not understand. US documents prove that the Clinton Government did know about the Rwandan genocide despite their claims that they did not. Bill Clinton and US Ambassador Madeleine Albright were two major figures that refused to take action, and they later apologised after the genocide for not acting earlier. Clinton has attempted to repair damage through a foundation called 'The Clinton Foundation', yet it still does not cover for the pain/suffering in Rwanda. Clinton spoke in Kigali 1998, to apologise for not immediately calling the genocide ‘genocide’. However many believe that he was just demonising his responsibilities and that the US should have supported the Rwandan Patriotic Front with arms and resources which would have significantly helped the RPF overthrow the Hutu militant ruling. In 1961, three years prior the genocide, the UN Trusteeship Council stated “The development of these last 18 months have brought about racial dictatorship of one party… it is quite possible that some day we will witness violent reactions on the part of the Tutsi”. They knew even years before the genocide that such an atrocity could take place yet when it finally happened they failed to respond. This shows that the Countries were too afraid to take the risk and be involved, because of fear they may be inflicted with problems. In fact, the failed peacekeeping Somalia mission ended two days before the UN Security Council was due to decide whether or not to send peacekeepers to Rwanda. They eventually did but the US insisted on only a small, low budge mission limited to Rwanda’s capital city and no seizing of weapons – only observing. Commander of the UNAMIR or UN Romeo Dalliare was raised in Canada, and upon his arrival to Rwanda despite his request, Dallaire was provided with little knowledge on the background of the genocide and thus of could not plan his mission properly. Spokeswomen Christine Shelly, partnered with the State Department, during an interview on June 10th 1994 spoke to correspondent Alan Elsner. This was broadcasted all over Rwanda by the Hutus to show the Tutsis that nobody was coming to help them “Shelly: Based on the evidence we have seen from observations on the ground, we have every reason to believe that acts of genocide have occurred in Rwanda. Elsner: What’s the difference between “acts of genocide” and “genocide”? …How many acts of genocide does it take to make genocide? Shelly: Alan, that’s just not a question that I’m in a position to answer.” This unwillingness to even identify the genocide ‘genocide’ is because if they did this they are subjected to immediate involvement.
Rwanda, being an African Country, offered little to no benefits to nations involving it. Rwanda was not economically prosperous and had little oil or minerals with its largest exports being coffee and tea. Even despite this because of the atrocity occurring, the UN is still obliged to have planned and taken account of all the issues occurring in Rwanda. If a full-scale genocide was identified, the UN would of have to launch a full-scale mission to stop it. They were so late to call it genocide primarily because they saw the statistics of money and Rwanda not being worth it as a Nation. The US since the cold war has been a vital part of the UN and the resentment to call it genocide was very evident. “Be careful, a genocide finding could commit us to actually do something”. The US defense dept discussed this in a private letter on day 25 of the genocide when over 200,000 people had already been murdered. If the UN did get involved and launched an effective mission they could have prevented the lose of many lives. For example a key issue in the genocide was to stop France and China fuelling the genocide. France and China helped the Hutu force by providing weapons and helping them flee. In the years leading up to the genocide France openly supported Habyarimana and trained the Hutu troops. But at UN meetings they openly supported the Arusha Accords contradicting their behaviour behind the scene. The reason France was so interested in assisting in the genocide was to not reprehend their own International view because they had been significant in other UN peace treaties. Another issue that shows Rwanda as a country had nothing to offer included the fact that the mission was not able to involve forceful violence. Soldiers were not allowed to intervene if somebody was being murdered in front of them and became an audience to this treatment. From an anonymous peacekeeper’s memoir the darkness of the genocide is extremely evident “I saw countless bloody scratches up the plaster walls, marked where hundreds had scrabbled to escape the flames, bullets and grenades. In the distance a mother with a baby wrapped on her back hacked with a machete at another woman carrying her own baby.” The UN did not want to start a war and get violently involved, but really if it was another country of importance they would, showing us that Rwanda was not worth fighting for. The only time Dalliare was able to use physical force was when he was requested to help the evacuation of foreign nationals. This further emphasizes that the international community had no care in the people of Rwanda but only the Westerners. Therefore because the governments were self-interested they refused to admit there was an issue, and thus turned a blind eye to ensure the success of their own people.
Civilians have a powerful voice in lobbying involvement for their nation in international issues and the failure of the media stopped this external force pressuring governments. Media was ramped throughout the Vietnam War and WW2 putting so much pressure on the Governments. If media portrayed Rwanda correctly, it would have been a country that the International community would have fallen for. Beautiful landscape, loving people and a poor Country with these people in need. The Government did not really want to show or let the media film and document the events in Rwanda. The only media coverage in nations around the World reported that there were intertribal tensions in Rwanda. When finally video evidence of the genocide became leaked, massive outbreak in cities occurred and the Government then formed the Turquoise mission. As you can see in source A the Government distributed these in flyers and posters around cities of Australia after the genocide had occurred. It does not identify the issues and the causes to genocide in Rwanda but only discusses how the UN and Oxfam are responding. Therefore, the media not having an important role in the Rwandan genocide prevented external pressures from the public and international support.
In conclusion the International community turned a blind-eye to the genocide. Coming from failure in Somalia the UN did not want ‘déjà vu’. Secondly Rwanda being a poorer Country had no economic benefits to other Nations. Thirdly due to the medias failure to show the genocide to an international audience meant the genocide was over before the public knew and could pressure their Governments to become involved. Therefore the tears of the children and the screams of the women were left unanswered, but as an International community we can still make a difference and help Rwanda deal with war-wounds, even if it is out of guilt.