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Rwandan refugee children plead with Zairean soldiers to allow them across a bridge separating Rwanda and Zaire where their mothers had crossed moments earlier before the soldiers closed the border on 20 August 1994. AP/Press Association Images

20 Years On: What have we learned from Rwanda?

The humanitarian aid community learned its lessons, but what about the political world?

THE WORLD MADE huge mistakes 20 years ago. 

Political leaders and the humanitarian aid community have all put their hands up to say they should – and could – have done better.

It would be hard to hold any other position when looking back to the events of 1994 in Rwanda.

An estimated 800,000 people killed. Massacred. Bodies left in heaps for days, weeks – even months -before they were discovered.

Today marks the anniversary of the country’s descent into genocide. Citizens across the African country are taking part in solemn commemorations to remember the victims of the atrocities.

UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon admitted the international community was still wracked by the “shame” of failing to act.

Many United Nations personnel and others showed remarkable bravery. But we could have done much more. We should have done much more.

“In Rwanda, troops were withdrawn when they were most needed.

The shame still clings, a generation after the events.

Next year, we will mark the 20th anniversary of the Srebrenica massacre during the Bosnian war. Just one year later – and the world watched again. Another failure alluded to by Ban Ki-moon.

But have we now learned from those mistakes?

“It is a travesty if we haven’t,” says Goal CEO Barry Andrews.

He believes there has been “very significant developments” in terms of accountability among humanitarian aid agencies as a direct result of what happened in Rwanda.

“Lots of organisations showed up there and did more harm than good,” he told TheJournal.ie in a recent interview.

He cites a number of positive developments, including membership of umbrella organisations in order to ensure accountability to donors and better inter-agency cooperation.

RWANDA CAMP LIFE Rwandan Hutu children separated from their familes line up for food at a school transformed into a transit camp for children in 1995. AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

His colleague, Fiona Gannon, adds that there is also more accountability when it comes to those people they are aiming to help.

“We have learned quite a bit in the 20 years about how we should work. There is an onus on us to be creative in how we approach beneficiaries,” she says.

“Now we are quite innovative when it comes to our consultation processes – where we can meet, evaluate and monitor people.

“For example, we now video all our distributions and then select families who benefitted from those distributions. We then do in-depth surveys with them to get feedback – all so we’re better informed about how we’re providing the service, and how that service can be tailored the next time.”

Gannon, who is currently working with teams in Syria, says her staff have analysed results there and are trying to figure out why 5 per cent of those helped are not fully satisfied.

“In the early 1990s, feedback like that wasn’t really a feature,” she explains. “We weren’t systematic about how we consulted with the people. We hadn’t factored in how important it was to get it right.”

RWANDA MASSACRE AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

Although both Goal workers agree that the humanitarian aid community have learned lessons, they believe the political world is still behind.

“It is something I read recently in a document about the failures of Rwanda. Those essential failures were and continue to be political,” it said.

It is a sentiment that survivor and founder of a grassroots NGO, Deo Niyizonkiza, shares. He believes the international community to even understand the origins of the conflicts.

The way I see it – the war didn’t happen between Tutsis and Hutus. It occurred because of survival and desperation.

“The international community seems to be lost in the understanding of genocide and war. It is politicians taking advantage of dehumanising conditions and people are not educated enough to know that they are being used.”

PA-8628925 Rwandan primary school children answer their teacher's question with enthusiasm on their first day back at Nyamagumba School in Ruhengeri in September 1994. AP / Press Association Images AP / Press Association Images / Press Association Images

“It is hard not to be critical at the moment when you look at Syria,” continues Andrews.

“One wonders if any real lessons were learned. We’ve had Srebrenica, the Congo and now Syria since. How do we properly intervene?

“There are massive inadequacies in Syria. Three years in, and you have 140,000 dead and hardly any sign of initiatives to bring it to an end.”

According to both Andrews and Gannon, the international community “fights the last war”.

For Rwanda, that was Somalia. For Syria, it is Iraq and Afghanistan.

“Countries are conditioned by the last crisis, rather than the current one,” explains Andrews. “Nobody wants to get involved again.”

“There is an unwillingness to respond given the complexity of Iraq and Afghanistan,” agrees Gannon. “There is a fear of being drawn into another long-term conflict.

“The role of the UN also has to be factored in,” she says. “It has an out-dated mandate and we have to look at what is possible for it given its Cold War makeup.” #

But Niyizonkiza believes that by thinking – and acting – differently, more peace could be brought into the world.

“If we go deeper, reach out to the ordinary citizens and work with them, sit down and understand what is going on in their lives. If we just pump money into governments, it is just a vicious cycle.

“We have an obligation as human beings – not as countries, as they are just political boundaries. We all share the same sky. We need to do what is right in the spirit of kinship.”

Andrews, Gannon and Niyizonkiza are all due to speak at seminar, organised by Irish NGOs, this Thursday in Dublin’s Royal Irish Academy which will explore Humanitarian Crises. 

Anniversary of a massacre: what happened in Srebrenica?

From massacres and malnutrition to hope and healing – Burundi and Rwanda 20 years on 

“We were fighting with all our passion to create a boring society” – South African Freedom Fighter

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32 Comments
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    Mute Damian O'Brien
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:58 PM

    A couple of things were learned. You cannot have a U.N. force that is purely devoted to peacekeeping. They have to have the ability to enforce peace and not take a step back and watch. To this day the Canadian general (Romeo Daillane) is haunted by his inability to do anything except on a personal level in Rwanda.

    If you have a force there is no point sending in a force not willing or able to undertake these tasks. General Daillane had a force of 2,500 men. 1,100 of these men were Bangladeshi who were utter cowards and didi everything in their power to not leave their bases. At least the Belgian and Ghanaian forces under the U.N. mandate were prepared to act until Kofi Annan said no. When the Belgian government took their forces out, Daillane could do nothing.

    Another lesson was that Kofi Annan had to be the worst reader of reports who ever held a position at the U.N. The same guy a couple of years later became Secretary General. The mind boggles at that one.

    A few good people could and did make a difference. Senegal Captain, Mbye Diagne under the noses of the Interhamwe managed to save 600 people. He was blown up by a mortar bomb at the end of May, at a roadblock. Laura Lane at the U.S. Embassy managed to rescue some and got them out by convoy to Burundi. Carl Wilkins (A 7th Day Adventist missionary) saved many hundreds through a network he managed quickly to set up. Gen Daillane and his deputy from Ghana, Henry Anyidoho saved many people and the head of the Red Cross mission Philippe Gaillard was heroic in his rescue attempts. It is a miracle he survived. Medicins San Frontiers were one of the few groups who begged and pleaded for help.

    The last lesson to learn is that this can happen again so easily. Who is to say it is not already happening in C.A.R..Most of these murders that escalate to genocide start with unsubstantiated reports. We are hearing these reports even now from the C.A.R.

    Me

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    Mute boildyeggs
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    Apr 7th 2014, 10:57 PM

    Agreed Damian, the genocide continues in Syria, granted it’s complicated but millions displaced and 100000 dead. And guess what, the international community sits back. Without making light of this Eddie Izzard has a great perspective on this, kill your own and nobody cares.

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    Mute Derek Hatchell
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:14 PM

    Jesus, wot sum kids and families have went thru on this planet doesnt bear thinking about. Puts my petty problems into perspective thats for sure

    61
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    Mute Les Rock
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:28 PM

    Was in college with a Rwandan lady. She was directly affected by this. She told a story one day..moved most of us tears

    30
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    Mute Greg Devoy
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:38 PM

    This is one of the most devout RELIGIOUS countries on earth
    What we have learned ?? People can carry out the most horrific and inhumane acts in the name of RELIGION ,,,
    the Vaticans response to this genocide ?? NOTHING

    RELIGION KILLS

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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Apr 7th 2014, 9:07 PM

    This had nothing to do with religion you clown. But sure go ahead and dismiss the violent deaths if nearly a million people as long as it helps your cause.

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    Mute Tony Kennedy
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    Apr 7th 2014, 9:21 PM

    Also ignore the fact that Muslims in Rwanda were some of the bravest people during the genocide and protected thousands.

    Or the fact that the only Americans left in the country during the genocide was a devout Christian aid worker and his family.

    And ignore the fact that religion had NOTHING to do with the conflict.

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    Mute ciaran clarke
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    Apr 7th 2014, 9:43 PM

    Probably an atheist.they just love to tell everyone else that they are wrong for having faith.
    I don’t think the world had really learnt a whole lot since and before rewanda.
    Genocide is still happening everyday.

    18
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    Mute Greg Devoy
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    Apr 7th 2014, 9:54 PM

    @Alan
    Who were the Cockroaches ??? and what distinguished them,,,YOU MORON

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    Mute Greg Devoy
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    Apr 7th 2014, 9:58 PM

    @Ciaran
    There is a documentary you may be interested on RTE tonight at 11:05 about Christine Buckley one of the MILLIONS of Children physically and mentally abuse by the abhorent religions,,

    GET IT INTO YE,,,

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    Mute Ryan Ó Giobúin
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    Apr 7th 2014, 10:06 PM

    @Greg, the Cockroaches, or Inyenzi as they were called, was how Hutu extremists such as those in the Hutu Power movement or the Interahamwe militias referred to the Tutsis. Strangely enough, there were very minor and largely superficial differences between Tutsis and Hutus…both were mostly Catholic, both spoke the same language, and if it were not for ethnic identity introduced by the Belgians in the 1930s, the differences between them would be hardly distinguishable. While religion has definitely played major roles in a lot of genocides, the Rwandan genocide had nothing to do with religious convictions, and rather with superficial differences which were exploited by elites in order to extend their power

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    Mute Greg Devoy
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    Apr 7th 2014, 10:49 PM

    @Ryan
    They are valid points but in the history of Rwanda the churches flip – flopped between the ruling regimes( as they always do- see Hiltler ,Stalin, ) which ingrained the bigotry and ethnic divisions

    This is a country where only 2 % claim to be of no Reiligion coincidence ?? I think NOT
    If this was a secular society this would NEVER have happened ,,,
    I believe that with all my heart

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    Mute Ryan Ó Giobúin
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    Apr 7th 2014, 11:22 PM

    I think if people hadn’t been looking for power, then we could say it wouldn’t have happened. People will look for power through any means possible, and social structures like religion, politics…even big business are always likely to be abused in attempt to wield power. Of course religion plays a major aspect in violence for sure, but I would argue that the violence would not abate if religion was taken out of the picture, and if you actually look at the conflict in Rwanda, religious imagery hardly comes in, especially since both the perpetrators and victims of the violence were largely of the same religion. If you are saying that religion was the reason why the Hutus and Tutsis were at each others throats, I think you are missing the whole essence of the conflict, including the role of European colonialism.

    This is by no means giving religious institutions a get out of jail card…genocide in Yugoslavia and even the violence in the North have used religious imagery, but trying to portray religion as the base of all the worlds problems completely glosses over all the other factors which play a role in genocide.

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    Mute Sean Mckevitt
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:06 PM

    the only things we learned is that the UN is not fit for purpose ,
    and that America and the west will NOT help , unless you have something of interest to them

    35
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    Mute Jeremy Usbourne
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:11 PM

    What did the ‘East’ do to help?

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    Mute White Fang
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    Apr 7th 2014, 9:47 PM

    There’s a difference though, Jeremy. No country in the ‘East’ proclaims itself to be the world’s policeman like the US in the ‘West’ does. This self-described force for liberty and world stability sat back and watch Rwanda burn, but has intervened in many other nations for far less compelling reasons, ostensibly to establish peace, when it suited their geopolitical agenda. It’s hypocritical.

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    Mute Ryan Ó Giobúin
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    Apr 7th 2014, 10:12 PM

    If anything, the west helped the genocide and its perpetrators, with France having provided arms to the regime and the international community running refugee camps in Zaire, despite the fact that the camps were largely run by those who perpetrated the genocide, and who used the refugees as a shield from justice.

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    Mute Declan Byrne
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:27 PM

    Rwanda thought me one thing we humans are as dangerous as cancer. The human race is a planet killer.

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    Mute Alan O'connor
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:11 PM

    Mistakes? The world made huge mistakes? The world watched wholesale slaughter based on ethnicity. That’s not a mistake.

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    Mute me so harney
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:03 PM

    That Don Cheadle is a fine actor.

    22
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    Mute me so harney
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:21 PM

    Joking aside, Rwanda has taught me that sometimes people are no better than the dogs on the street or, in this case, the ‘cockroaches’ that they accused their brethren of being.

    It’s a bleak outlook really.

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    Mute Michael lynch
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:40 PM

    It would be good if France would take some accountability for its support of the Hutu regime both before and during the genocide. France (and other western countries like the US) were aware of the genocide plans yet did nothing, presumably because of legacy colonial “interests”. Well done to Rwandan president Paul Kagame for not letting them forget it. France are reacting with that inimitable kind of condescending outrage unique to them that confirms Kagame has hit a nerve.

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    Mute Rupert Ruccus
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:15 PM

    Not to go there on your holidays !

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    Mute Mark O'Hagan
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    Apr 7th 2014, 10:31 PM

    What have we learned? Absolutely nothing – and unless you have oil, you are on your own.

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    Mute Jay Warner
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    Apr 7th 2014, 10:50 PM

    We have learned that in a good number of African countries they place so little value on life that they will happily hack men women and children to death with machetes.. rape babies as a cure for aids and see no issue with it at all. Yet we keep feeding them and propping up dictatorships and dictators like Mugabe.

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    Mute Rachel O' Meara
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:52 PM

    It should be confined to the history books as a lesson to us all not to let it happen again but we never learn and as I’m writing this thousands of people are fleeing to the borders of Chad, Camaroon and the DRC to escape a similar fate in CAR, african soil runs red with the spilt blood of it’s people while the world turns a blind eye, there are not enough heavy hearts in the world to end such madness, mores the pity!

    A Recap of what happened in Rwanda
    Million Voices – Wyclef Jean: http://youtu.be/m90rhKobovE
    (warning contains graphic scenes)

    Ne jamais oublier! xxx
    (Never forget)

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    Mute Jamesy Boy
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    Apr 7th 2014, 9:42 PM

    This just shows us that its a disguting world we live in at times.

    I would say it was the worst thing ive ever seen or heard about in my entire lifetime, on the news of course.

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    Mute Rupert Ruccus
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:51 PM

    You’d make a killing there as a prosthetics sales man ..

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    Mute Anthony Quinn
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    Apr 8th 2014, 8:10 AM

    Africa..be a grand place except its
    Stuffed with africans…..

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    Mute ISSA
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    Apr 7th 2014, 10:18 PM

    We should always be grateful and thankful everyday we wake up alive and strong …. I myself witnessed post election violence back home in Kenya ……. And won’t want to see search horrific fight again

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    Mute Rory O'Gorman
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    Apr 8th 2014, 7:24 AM

    what’s been learned? unless you have oil, nobody gives a damn what happens.

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    Mute Ian Carty
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    Apr 7th 2014, 8:26 PM

    Remember to speak Hutu or Tutsi

    4
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