Consequences and Significance of the Rwandan Genocide

CONSEQUENCES Human Loss 800,000-1 Million dead (mostly Tutsi civilians) Millions more were left homeless and displaced One Canadian peacekeeper lost his life in Rwanda (approx. 125 in total peacekeeping missions)

Sacrifice Gen. Romeo Dallaire (credited for saving 20,000 Tutsis) and many others who witnessed the atrocities in Rwanda suffered debilitating PTSD. Life will never be the same for them.

UNAMIR operation While it failed to stop the genocide, it remained in Rwanda (after the Rwandan Patriotic Front victory) until March 1996 as one of the largest humanitarian relief efforts in history.

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) 1995-2008 trials against high-ranking people for their role in the Rwandan genocide Three former senior Rwanda defense and military officials were convicted for organizing the genocide

SIGNIFICANCE Rwanda opened our eyes to the denial we exercise when we KNOW bad things happen, but we do nothing to help. Ex. Allowing a bully to ‘bully’ makes you just as guilty United Nations (UN) has an obligation / responsibility to intervene with or without ‘self-interest’ of the member countries Rwanda is the example of HOW BAD genocide can be without the intervention of the international community

Moreover, the remorse that came from the international community, and the UN finally calling the war in Rwanda a “GENOCIDE”, was significant. Admission that the UN was wrong, hopefully means they will not forget this in the future. Our General Romeo Dallaire saved 20,000 lives during the UNAMIR. We are proud of him and the over 400 Canadian peacekeepers that served in Rwanda for their contribution, despite the lack of support from the UN organization.