The United Nations declared 7 April 2004, the International Day of Reflection on the 1994 Genocide in Rwanda. It is with horror that one remembers the events that took place in 1994, but the international community at large should be feeling shame and learn from this tragic event.
The world watched on as over 800,000 men women and children were butchered in about one hundred days, by armed groups throughout Rwanda. What is particularly disturbing is that the extent of this tragedy could have been dramatically reduced or even completely avoided.
The United Nations had peace-keeping forces stationed in the country due to the tense climate following the death of President Juvenal Habyarimana. The UN Security Council could not [as has become a common occurrence these days] come to an agreement on measures to deal with the situation in Rwanda, and as a result the bulk of the peace-keeping forces were withdrawn from Rwanda. This irresponsible behaviour by the world’s “leading” nations led to one of the worst massacres human kind has witnessed.
Under the guise of geo-politics and globalisation, too many innocent lives are being lost at the whim of the so-called “civilized nations” who comprise the UN Security Council. The UN Security Council’s reputation is dwindling because it cannot seem to get anything substantial or just done in the world. Rwanda is a stark reflection of what this kind of inertia within the international community can lead to. When is the organization going to be a meaningful entity?
Ten years later, we have a day of reflection on the genocide and a plea and prayer for it never to happen again.
800,000 people slaughtered in almost 100 days –” reflect on that and be ashamed.
