The Role of Canada in the Rwandan Genocide
Teresa Min
Loretto Abbey Catholic Secondary School
Contents
Introduction 3
The role of Canada in the Rwandan genocide 4
Conclusion 6
Reference 8
Introduction
There has been a trend of mass murders from the very beginning of the human civilization because of many petty issues like religion, political invasion or imposed control over humanity by super powers. However, form the 19th century onwards; there was a high expedition of religious and political leaders for ideological acceptance and expansion of their territory to maximum. This further instigated the growth of conflicts among the independent nations resulting in devastating cruelty in the form of mass murders also called as genocide. This genocide took place because of no repulsion or revolt against it by any of the worldwide communities or any of the leaders of the nations and allowed free invasion of many territories and states along with a lot of blood shedding.
The genocide of Rwanda is indeed one of the most intensive killing campaigns in human history. It was a result of ethnic division that persisted in the Rwandan society from centuries but emerged only after the colonial rule. It was basically an emergence because of the two ethnic groups, the Hutu and the Tutsi. History reveled that the Tutsis had been the powerful ruling class despite of being the minority class which developed a sense of hatred and rivalry amongst the majority class, the Hutus. As per the population of Rwanda in 1994, there were approximately about 85% of Hutus, 14% of Tutsis and about 1% of Twa (the Pygmy Tribe).
The Term Paper on Rwanda Genocide 2
Five thousand people seek haven in their Catholic church; their local governor walks in, makes a gallant speech about racial purity and Tutsi betrayal, and then steps aside and opens the floodgates for hundreds of their neighbors carrying machetes, knifes, and guns, and watches calmly as the massacre begins. One girl lives. While her family is chopped to pieces amidst the screams, she plays dead ...
The hatred of Hutus towards the Tutsis also resulted in the tense arena of politics. The Hutus also feared that the population of Tutsi might increase in future under the social, political and economic pressures. (Beardsley, 2008) To add on to the miseries of Tutsis, the president Habyarimana increased the division between the Tutsi and Hutus in the year 1992 instigating the Hutus extremist towards violence and plans of crushing the Tutsis. Finally this hatred took shape of cruel violence with the murder of the president. It is estimated that approximately 800,000 Tutsis were massacred during this genocide in Rwanda. Any and everyone expected to be a Tutsi and trying to escape the country was killed. Those Hutus who opposed this genocide were also killed after being proclaimed as traitors.
This genocide was even disastrous, as it had no control over it by any of the countries or super powers of the world. There was massive slaughter done which lasted for about 100 days. The killings saw no place or situation purview but just happened at all locations like churches, hospitals and schools. To add on to the worse situation, the Hutus prohibited the burial of the Tutsi corpses and were left open for animals, rats and vultures to feed upon. Apart from these mercy killings of men, women and children, the women were also raped and tortured in the similar manner.
The role of Canada in the Rwandan genocide
The biggest dilemma of this genocide was that the entire world saw it but just stood by and watched. Those UN peacekeeping forces, which were stationed in Rwanda, were also ineffective at suppressing this genocide and were eventually ordered to leave and vacate the country.
Like many of the international countries and powers, Canada was one of them, which failed to stop the huge atrocities done on Tutsis in Rwanda during the Rwandan Genocide. It also stood silent without any action and watched thousands die in one of the most gruesome genocides in the history of Humanity. There was a resolution taken on December 9, 1948 by the United Nations after the World War II that any type of genocide whether during war or peace was a crime under international law. There was no action however taken by the United Nations in the case of Rwandan Genocide.
The Essay on Rwandan Genocide
The Causes and Effects of the Rwandan Genocide by Arnav Kapur In 1994, Rwanda erupted into one of the most appalling cases of mass murder the world has ever witnessed since World War II. Many of the majority Hutu (about 84% of the population) turned on the Tutsi (about 15% of the population) and moderate Hutu, killing an estimated total of 800,000 people. The main causes of the Rwandan Genocide ...
The General Romeo Dallaire of Canada had little information about the conflict, which arose in Rwanda just before the genocide, but he behaved more like a blind man in all these circumstances and did not take any step further. Because of the little information about the Rwandan conflict and then the merciless genocide, the mission of Canada could not take a proper shape. The mission was indeed planned poorly with inexperienced experts in economy, political and human rights operational planning. (Melvern, 2006)
Instigation of military operations was put into action but with limited requirements for long-term addresses to the cause of the Rwandan conflict. As per their mandates, they were only allowed to monitor and support the transitional government with its actions and implementations. There was also a huge restriction on the time and fund provided to these military forces for their action in Rwanda. In totality, the military forces were instructed more towards self-defense rather than prohibiting the genocide and the chaos created in Rwanda. On a request of support by Dallaire after the plane shooting in Rwanda, he was denied of any help. Ultimately, the non- battle pole strategy and the self defense strategy had completely failed in the Rwandan Genocide. Thus, Belgium had no way out but to call for support. It was then supported by the United States, United Kingdom, Russia and many more for the withdrawal of UNAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda).
As a result, about two thousands marines and paratroopers could seek intervention as a part of reinforcement only to evacuate the foreign national in Rwanda. As a result, about 40,000 Rwandans could be saved despite of the strict mandates of the UNAMIR. There was a backend role of the UNMIR by not suppressing the genocide, instead counting the dead bodies of the Rwandans and assisting the survivors. There was no effort made to save Rwanda and initiate a long term rebuilding of Rwanda.
Although there was no contribution of Canada or any other country in the world towards the prevention or ceasing of the Rwandan genocide, there were many international conventions made post Rwandan genocide on the prevention and punishment of the Crime on Genocide. This was made effective from 12 January 1951. The main purposes of this international convention against genocide are as follows:
The Term Paper on Genocide In Rwanda And Burundi
Between April and July of 1994, more than 800, 000 people, mostly Tutsi civilians, were slaughtered in a genocidal campaign organized by the Hutu hard-liners. By educating myself as well as others, I hope that we can prevent genocide organizers from eliminating the minority, Tutsi, and remove the tensions between these two groups. Pressure must be placed on the government to put the 120, 000 ...
* Prevention and suppression of genocide and punishment against genocide.
* The act of genocide was well classified inclusive of many facts like commitment of genocide, conspiracy to commit genocide, incitement of public directly or indirectly for the commitment of genocide etc.
* It was also stated that genocide in case of war or peace was considered as crime and equally responsible for punishment.
* There were strict laws made and implemented against the harm caused by any ethnic or religious groups of any country or nation. (Taylor, Breitinger, 1999, 101)
Conclusion
The massacre of human lives for ethnic or religious groups has been a practice since long. However, the Rwandan genocide is one of the most terrible human massacres in the history of humanity. This genocide was under a religious rivalry between two groups of the country, the Hutus and the Tutsis. As per estimation, about 800,000 Tutsis were killed in this massive genocide. On the contrary, almost the entire world was a witness to these inhuman killings but they just watched without any action or reaction. Canada was one such country amongst many which was a silent observer of this massive killing phase at Rwanda.
But as a lesson, Canada along with many other countries of the world formed an international convention and formulated strict international law against any kind of genocide to avoid any massive massacre in future. The new role of Canada against the prevention of genocide was to take action under the United Nations Charter. This was to take appropriate preventive and precautionary measures suppressing any kind of violent acts of genocide.
Reference
3 bibliography, 2 text sources are listed and 1 Internet source is listed
Beardsley, B. National Defense and the Canadian Forces. “Learning from the Rwandan Genocide”. Humanitarian Intervention. 2008. < http://www.journal.dnd.ca/vo6/no1/human-humain-eng.asp
The Term Paper on Debate Of Human Cloning
Debate of human cloning In the past several decades, human cloning has turned from a laboratory dream to worldwide disputes. There are enough opinions supporting both bad and good consequences of human cloning. Human cloning sets a number of difficult questions about human independence, self-esteem, and individuality. Will human cloning be a huge step for man, or will it result in moral demise? ...
Melvern, L. (2006). Conspiracy to murder: The Rwandan genocide. Verso.
Taylor, C. C., & Breitinger, E. (1999). Sacrifice as terror: the Rwandan genocide of 1994 (p. 101).
Oxford: Berg.
