International Community Is Culpable For The Rwandan Genocide

From April to June 1994, in a mere 100 days, approximately 800,000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu were murdered during the Rwandan genocide (Destexhe, 1994). The international community failed to prevent or stop this slaughter. Considering the horrific nature of this genocide and the vast number of victims, there is a question whether the international community is culpable for the Rwandan genocide; specifically, the role of its key players, the US, the UN, France and Belgium. I will argue that the international community is culpable and focus on three reasons for this inaction. A subsequent question is; what responsibilities do global actors have in preventing such atrocities? I feel that every country is responsible for protecting its citizens from genocide. Should a nation fail to safeguard its citizens from genocide, I feel that international community has an obligation to protect those citizens at risk. I will highlight the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) doctrine which was ratified by the UN some years following the Rwandan genocide, as the UN’s attempt to prevent the mistakes of Rwanda and other genocides. Background – Three Reasons for the International Community’s inaction in the Rwandan Genocide I feel that the international community is culpable for the Rwandan genocide and will focus on the three reasons for this inaction. First, inaction was due to national interests. As an example, the US decided not to take action in Rwanda as there was no perceivedShow MoreRelatedRwandan Genocide: The United States, France and the Failure of the UN Security Council. Between the3000 Words   |  12 PagesRwandan Genocide: The United States, France and the Failure of the UN Security Council. Between the months of April and July in 1994 approximately one million people were killed in Rwanda. There are three ethnic groups in Rwanda, Hutu, Tutsi, and Aboriginal Twa. The genocide occurred between two different groups, the Hutu and Tutsi people. The Hutu composed close to 85% of the population while the minority Tutsi people make up approximately 14% with the Twa people composing the remaining 1%. TheRead MoreGenocide in Rwanda: international response3465 Words   |  14 Pages000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu were killed in the Rwandan genocide. It was the fastest, most efficient killing spree of the twentieth century. My thesis is that the international community utterly failed to prevent and stop this atrocity. I will focus on numerous interconnected aspects that led to international inaction and also on the main actors, Belgium, the United Nations Secretariat, the United States and France, that knew that there was genocide underway in Rwanda - therefore, they had a responsibi lityRead MoreCanadians Are Blame For The Rwandan Genocide2346 Words   |  10 PagesCanadians are Partly to blame for the Rwandan Genocide In 1994, over the course of 100 days, a genocide in Rwanda took the lives of 800,000 innocent men, women, and children and displaced 2 million more. The genocide was a result of tension that had been building since the Belgium colonization of Rwanda in 1916 between two ethnic group, the Hutus and the Tutsis. When Belgium colonized Rwanda, power was given to the Tutsis (an ethnic group in Rwanda that was 15% of the population) who became the