Shake Hands With the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda
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If September 11 taught us that we have to fight and win the “war on terrorism,” it should also have taught us that if we do not immediately address the underlying (even if misguided) causes of those young terrorists’ rage, we will not win the war. For every al-Qaeda bomber that we kill there will be a thousand more volunteers from all over the earth to take his place. In the next decade, terrorists will acquire weapons of mass destruction. It is only a matter of time until a brilliant young chemist or smuggler obtains a nuclear, biological or chemical weapon and uses it to satisfy his very personal rage against us.
Where does this rage come from? This book has demonstrated some of the causes. A heightened tribalism, the absence of human rights, economic collapses, brutal and corrupt military dictatorships, the AIDS pandemic, the effect of debt on nations, environmental degradation, overpopulation, poverty, hunger: the list goes on and on. Each of these and so many other reasons can lead directly to a people having no hope for the future and being forced in their poverty and despair to resort to violence just to survive. This lack of hope in the future is the root cause of rage. If we cannot provide hope for the untold masses of the world, then the future will be nothing but a repeat of Rwanda, Sierra Leone, the Congo and September 11.
Several times in this book I have asked the question, “Are we all human, or are some more human than others?” Certainly we in the developed world act in a way that suggests we believe that our lives are worth more than the lives of other citizens of the planet. An American officer felt no shame as he informed me that the lives of 800,000 Rwandans were only worth risking the lives of ten American troops; the Belgians, after losing ten soldiers, insisted that the lives of Rwandans were not worth risking another single Belgian soldier. The only conclusion I can reach is that we are in desperate need of a transfusion of humanity. If we believe that all humans are human, then how are we going to prove it? It can only be proven through our actions. Through the dollars we are prepared to expend to improve conditions in the Third World, through the time and energy we devote to solving devastating problems like AIDs, through the lives of our soldiers, which we are prepared to sacrifice for the sake of humanity.
As soldiers we have been used to moving mountains to protect our own sovereignty or risks to our way of life. In the future we must be prepared to move beyond national self-interest to spend our resources and spill our blood for humanity. We have lived through centuries of enlightenment, reason, revolution, industrialization, and globalization. No matter how idealistic the aim sounds, this new century must become the Century of Humanity, when we as human beings rise above race, creed, colour, religion and national self-interest and put the good of humanity above the good of our own tribe. For the sake of the children and of our future. Peux ce que veux. Allons-y.
GLOSSARY
5ième Brigade-Group5th Canadian Mechanized Brigade Group (CMBG), an all-arms francophone formation, based in Valcartier, Quebec
5ième Régiment d’artillerie légère du Canada (5 RALC)The francophone artillery regiment of the Canadian Army, Regular Force, based in Valcartier, Quebec, which General Dallaire joined and later commanded
ACABQ or Fifth CommitteeThe UN General Assembly Committee, which meets in private closed session to establish and approve the budgets of peacekeeping missions
Lieutenant Colonel Joe Adinkra, co Ghanaian Battalion advance partyA small, select group of officers that is deployed prior to a main body to handle operation and administrative matters that will facilitate the deployment of the main body (mission)
Madame AgatheAgathe Uwilingiyimana, prime minister of the interim government
Aide-de-campAn officer assigned as personal assistant to a senior commander
Akagera Park (also known as Kagera Park)The last refuge of grassland wildlife in northeastern Rwanda. Due to its remote location, the only RGF camp in the area at Gabiro was a site suspected as a training centre for the Interahamwe. Also known as A’Kagera Park
Akagera RiverThe river that divides Rwanda from Tanzania and flows into Lake Victoria
General Jean Victor AllardA famous World War II hero and subsequent Canadian CDS
Amahoro StadiumComplex consisting of a stadium, training facilities, parking lot and an athletes’ hotel located in the east end of Kigali; was the location of the UNAMIR headquarters. Amahoro means peace in Kinyarwanda
Hedi Annabi Head of Africa Section in the Political Division of the DPKO
Kofi A. Annan Under-Secretary-General for Peacekeeping Operations (March 1993-December 1996). DPKO, Secretary-General of the UN 1 Jan 1997-present. Ghanaian
Brigadier General Henry Anyidoho Ghanaian UNAMIR Deputy Force Commander and COS, 21 Jan 94 until after General Dallaire left Rwanda
APC Armoured personnel carrier
Arusha Peace Agreement Also known as Arusha accords, Arusha negotiations or Arusha. Peace agreement between the RPF and the Government of Rwanda consisting of five protocols (accords) which ended the civil war in Rwanda and started a peace process that would result in the establishment of democracy and human rights in Rwanda, signed on 4 Aug 93
Lieutenant Colonel Mike Austdal Canadian reinforcement Officer worked as Contingent Commander
José Ayala Lasso UN High Commissioner for Human Rights, visited Rwanda in May 94 and described his observations of the situation in Rwanda as genocide
Camp Bagogwe RGF commando training camp in northwest Rwanda.
Colonel Théoneste Bagosora Chef de cabinet of the minister of defence, RGF, known Hutu extremist, currently awaiting trial, International Criminal Tribunal Rwanda
Lieutenant Colonel Walter Ballis Belgian Staff Officer, employed as UNAMIR Deputy Chief Operations Officer
Jean-Bosco Barayagwiza One of the heads of the extremist CDR party
General Maurice Baril Canadian Military Adviser to the Secretary-General of the UN and head of the Military Division of the DPKO
Battalion Ideally, a homogeneous unit of 800 soldiers with a headquarters, an integral service support company and four rifle companies
BBTG Broad-Based Transitional Government; was never installed due to political impasse
Major Brent Beardsley Canadian Military Assistant to General Dallaire
Commandant Mohammed Belgacem Tunisian Company Commander in NMOG, UNAMIR 1 and 2
UNAMIR, Jul 93–1 May 94, medically evacuated to Canada, did not return to mission
Jérôme Bicamumpaka MDR Hutu extremist who was appointed foreign minister of the interim government and tried to spread disinformation and cover up the genocide in Europe and New York
Jean-Damascène Bizimana Rwandan Ambassador to the UN in Sep 93, Member of the Security Council from Jan 94
Augustin Bizimana Minister of defence, extremist MRND, Hutu
Lieutenant Colonel Augustin Bizimungu Promoted Major General at the beginning of the conflict, Chief of Staff RGF, assumed the position in late Apr 94 replacing Marcel Gatsinzi, who had replaced Déogratias Nsabimana, extremist hard-liner, Hutu
Pasteur Bizimungu RPF’s senior political adviser, member of the Executive Committee for the RPF and Commissioner for Information and Documentation, Hutu. Became president of Rwanda, Jul 94–Mar 2000
Brigadier (Retired) Paddy Blagdon Head of the UN De-Mining Program
Manfred Bleim Head of the UN Civilian Police Division
Blue Beret Slang term for United Nations Peacekeeper, term taken from the light-blue berets (or blue helmets) worn by peacekeepers
Jacques-Roger Booh-Booh SRSG 22 Nov 93–May 94, former Cameroonian foreign minister and diplomat
Boutros Boutros-Ghali Secretary-General of the UN Jan 1992–Dec 1996
Brahimi Report Internal UN study of UN Peacekeeping, conducted post-Rwanda and that produced comprehensive recommendations to improve the UN capacity for peacekeeping operation
Brigade A formation of several units under a Brigade Headquarters. Numbers can vary from 3000–6000 personnel depending on nation and type of brigade
; Martin Bucyana National president of the CDR extremist Hutu party, murdered by moderates near Butare on 22 February in retaliation for the assassination of Félicien Gatabazi on 21 Feb 94
Prudence Bushnell US Deputy Assistant Secretary of State for African Affairs
Major Michel Bussières Canadian officer transferred from Somalia during the genocide and employed as Chief Military Personnel Officer
Butare South-central Prefecture in Rwanda, capital also named Butare, location of UNAMIR Southern Sector HQ
Byumba North-central Prefecture, capital of same name, location of the UNAMIR demilitarized zone Sector HQ. RGF camp located in same area, close to the DMZ. Bizimana’s hometown
CAO Chief Administration Officer
Linda Carroll Canadian Chargé d’affaires in Rwanda who led the successful evacuation of over one hundred Canadians
CDR Coalition pour la défense de la république, Hutu extremist party, splinter group of the MRND, led by Jean Shyirambere Barahinyura, Jean-Bosco Barayagwiza and Martin Bucyana. CDR leadership refused to sign the Arusha Peace Agreement and Statement of Ethics and were shut out of the transitional government. Openly and violently anti-Tutsi
Chapter 6 peacekeeping Classic peacekeeping, term used to describe United Nations Peacekeeping conducted under Chapter 6 of the UN Charter
Chapter 7 peacekeeping Peace Enforcement, term used to describe United Nations Peacekeeping conducted under Chapter 7 of the UN Charter
Commander Charles Nom de guerre of the RPF Battalion Commanding Officer in Kigali
General Jose Charlier Chief of Staff of the Belgian Army
Chief Administration Officer (CAO) Senior UN civil servant in a UN mission responsible for administration and logistics. First UNAMIR CAO was Hallqvist, followed by de Liso and Golo
Chief of Staff (COS) Senior staff officer in the HQ directly subordinate to the commander, responsible for controlling the staff branches (personnel, operations, logistics, plans, etc.) in the performance of their duties
Willy Claes Belgian foreign minister, visited Rwanda and UNAMIR in February of 1994
Captain Frank Claeys Belgian Para-commando and Special Forces Officer, head of UNAMIR intelligence section
CND Congrès National de Développement or Conseil National pour le Développement. Site of the National Assembly and a resident hotel in Kigali. The RPF leadership and security battalion resided in the hotel side of the complex. UNAMIR occupied the National Assembly portion of the complex and the perimeter for security
Code Cable Secure fax capability between UN HQ in NY and UNAMIR HQ in Kigali
Code of Ethics (Also known as the Statement of Ethics) The Arusha Peace Agreement had called for each political party to sign a Statement of Ethics if they were to be included in the BBTG. Each party had to sign every other party’s Code of Ethics form. The CDR refused to sign the Arusha Peace Agreement or the Code of Ethics and therefore the RPF and the moderates refused to have them included in the BBTG. Also known as the Statement of Ethics
Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean (CMR) Francophone military college in Canada. General Dallaire attended CMR as an Officer Cadet and later served as Commandant
Command and Control Military term defining how authority is exercised by a commander and his staff through a chain of command
Command post Field headquarters of a unit responsible for the control of subordinate units and responsible to a senior headquarters. Used primarily for communications, planning and coordination
Commune Political subdivision of a prefecture, equivalent to a county
Company A sub-unit of a battalion, approximately 125 personnel
Concept of Operations A general description of how a commander intends to accomplish the assigned mission
Contingent Commander Each nation contributing troops to a UN Force appoints a National Contingent Commander who is responsible for national discipline and administration, provides a link from the mission area to his home nation and provides a single point of contact for the Force Commander on matters relating to that nation’s contingent. Considered to be a secondary duty and usually the officer is also appointed to a primary command or staff position within the force
General Roméo A. Dallaire Canadian Force Commander of UNAMIR, and Chief Military Observer UNOMUR Oct 93—Aug 94, promoted to the rank of Major General in the field, 1 Jan 94, retired at the rank of Lieutenant General in Ottawa, 22 Apr 00
General John de Chastelain Canadian Chief of Defence Staff
Captain Willem de Kant Dutch Officer, selected by General Dallaire from service in UNOMUR to serve as Aide-de-camp in UNAMIR, Oct 93—Mar 94
Christine De Liso Acting CAO following Hallqvist’s departure in Feb 93 replaced by Golo May 94
CIDA Canadian International Development Agency
Defensive stores Items such as barbed wire, sandbags, corrugated iron, lumber, etc., that can be used to protect/defend an area
Defensive position Field defences like trenches and bunkers used to protect and defend a certain location
Leo Delcroix Belgian minister of defence, visited UNAMIR Mar 94
Major Eddy Delporte Belgian Military Police Officer, in Rwanda for the Technical Mission, conducted the analysis of the Gendarmerie, transferred from MINURSO to UNAMIR, stayed until Apr 94
Captain Amadou Deme Senegalese Officer, served in UNAMIR Intelligence Sector, viewed the arms cache in Jan 94, became head of sector following Belgian departure in Apr 94
Demilitarized zone (DMZ) DMZ located in northern Rwanda between RPF and RGF forces. Approximately 120 km long and from 100 metres at its narrowest to up to 20 km at its widest point. The DMZ was the last line of forward troops of each party when the ceasefire went into effect in 1991. Neither party was permitted in the zone, which was under NMOG and later UNAMIR control
Beadengar Dessande Former Ambassador from Chad and political officer on the SRSG staff
Lieutenant Colonel Joe Dewez Belgian Commanding Officer of the second Belgian Para-commando unit from 1 Apr–20 Apr 94, replaced LCol Leroy
Major Diagne Senegalese UNAMIR Staff Officer became FC’s note-taker during the conflict
DHA UN Department of Humanitarian Affairs
Dom Bosco School Location of Belgian Camp in Kigali and site where Belgian troops abandoned hundreds of Tutsis who were subsequently massacred. Also known as École technique officielle (ETO)
Mark Doyle BBC reporter and the only reporter to remain in Rwanda throughout the genocide
DPKO UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations
DPA UN Department of Political Affairs
Extremists Believers in Hutu Power, not prepared to bring refugees home, and unwilling to share power in a multi-ethnic, multi-party democracy respecting human rights. Predominantly MRND and CDR, but present in all parties other than the RPF
FC Force Commander
Joe Felli Political Adviser to the OAU’s Neutral Military Observer Group and later OAU representative in Rwanda
Field Operations Division (FOD) Part of DPKO that provides administrative and logistics (such as communications, transportation, finance, procurement, construction, information systems, contracting, general services) support to deployed peacekeeping missions
Colonel Herbert Figoli DMZ Sector Commander, Uruguayan, left UNAMIR mid-January
FOD Field Operations Division
Force Commander (FC) Commands all UN military personnel in a peacekeeping force
Bob Fowler Canadian Deputy Minister of Defence
Louise Fréchette Permanent Representative of Canada to the United Nations from 1992 to 1995. Deputy Secretary-General of the UN, 2 Mar 1998–present
Gabiro RGF camp on the eastern side of the DMZ close to Akagera National Park
Philippe Gaillard Chief Delegate of the International Committee of the Red Cross in Rwanda before and throughout the genocide in Rwanda, the only humanitarian agency to remain for the duration of the crisis
Garrison The home camp of an army unit
Félicien Gatabazi Head of the Social Democratic or PSD party; a well-known Hutu moderate from Butare
Colonel (later Major General) Marcel Gatsinzi Appointed RGF Chief of Staff to succeed Nsabimana on his death 7 Apr 94, replaced less than two weeks later by General Augustin Bizimungu. Gatsinzi was a moderate Hutu Army officer from Butare who later deserted to the RPF
Gendarmes/Gendarmerie Para-military force of 6,000 members, the national police force in Rwanda, controlled by the regime, based in Kigali and Ruhengeri, trained by both Belgian and French advisors, modelled on the French equivalent. Used mainly as a police force, however units were sometimes mobilized to the front to augment the army
Génocidaire French term to describe someone who participates in a genocide
Chinmaya Gharekhan Senior political adviser to Boutros-Ghali, and under-secretary-general of the UN
Gisenyi Northwestern prefecture in Rwanda, capital also named Gisenyi, tourist town on Lake Kivu, heartland of the extremist CDR
Gitarama Approximately 40 km from Kigali, location of the interim government
Allay Golo Chadian CAO, replaced De Liso in May 94
Marrack Goulding Under-Secretary-General for Political Affairs, from Great Britain, replaced James Jonah
Grasshopper Codename for events requiring a very high level of security
Major General Juvénal Habyarimana Rwandan president (dictator), came to power in 1973 coup d’état, killed in plane crash night of 6–7 Apr 94, Hutu from Ruhengeri, founder and head of the MRND