How did the UN help the Rwandan Genocide?
1 Answer
I assume you mean help the Rwandan people before, during and after the Genocide. Not assist in the Genocide.
Explanation:
The Rwandan Genocide was part of the Rwandan Civil War and the UN Mission was there to monitor a cease fire. April 6 1994 The shooting down of the plane with the Presidents of Burundi and Rwanda initiated the Genocide. Early on UN Member countries reduced their commitments after Belgium withdrew its troops and UN troop numbers fell from over 2000 to under 300.
Pretty much all Europeans and westerners left the country except for the small group of UN soldiers. Significantly these countries withdrew only their own citizens. They did not bring out Rwandans employees or associates who perhaps they could have helped.
The UN mission in Rwanda not much more than that capable of making a reasonable defense of their own base. Their commander request assistance repeatedly during the crisis and was refused by his superiors. The recent UN experience in Somalia had made the politicians afraid to intervene. The Security Council authorize a French Mission in June 1994 generally as the genocide was nearing an end.
A limited number of Rwandan people found refuge in the immediate area of the UN base but this was crammed full early on. The film "Hotel Rwanda" is worth watching as a background. The genocide was brought to an end by a Rebel group taking over the entire country by early July 1994.
The UN set an International Criminal Tribunal for try for War Crimes in November 1994.
The Rwandan Mission is generally thought of as a failure. Estimates of up to a million people died.
