Rwanda genocide anniversary

[SpongeBob 0]

UN Site: International Day of Reflection On The 1994 Genocide In Rwanda - 7 April '04

http://www.un.org/events/rwanda/

Quote[/b] ]Rwanda marks genocide anniversary

The government wants to dignify the memory of those killed

Rwanda is marking the 10th anniversary of the 1994 genocide.

The slaughter was triggered by the shooting down of a plane with Rwanda's Hutu President Juvenal Habyarimana onboard on 6 April 1994.

Along with the Jewish Holocaust, it is one of the worst atrocities of the last century.

Ahead of ceremonies to mark the event, the former UN commander in Rwanda said Western states were "criminally responsible" for the genocide.

There is no country today which can wash its hands of Rwandan blood just by saying sorry

Romeo Dallaire

Head of UN peacekeepers in 1994 Canadian General Romeo Dallaire said France, which led the small international peacekeeping force at the time of the genocide, the UK and the US in particular did not care enough to stop the killing.

"It's up to Rwanda not to let others forget they are criminally responsible for the genocide," he told a genocide conference in Kigali on his first visit to the country since 1994.

"There is no country today... which can wash its hands of Rwandan blood just by saying sorry."

French training

General Dallaire's comments came after Rwandan President Paul Kagame accused France of helping prepare the genocide.

Genocide planning revealed  President Kagame told the BBC that the French trained the militia to kill, knowing they intended to kill.

The BBC's Mark Doyle says that France was the closest ally of the Hutu regime in 1994. It is well known that French military advisers worked with the Hutu government army right up to the beginning of the genocide.

France denies involvement in the mass killings.

The plane carrying President Habyarimana and his Burundi counterpart Cyprien Ntaryamira was coming in to land in the capital, Kigali, when one or possibly two rockets fired from the ground destroyed it, killing both men.

By an extraordinary coincidence the wreckage landed in the garden of the presidential residence.

'Well executed plan'

The crash served as a signal to Hutu extremists, supporters of the government, to start the systematic liquidation of minority ethnic Tutsis and any Hutu opponents of the regime.

Mark Doyle says this was not some chaotic African tribal war, as portrayed by Western governments at the time, but a well-executed political plan.

Kagame said the French had genocide blood on their hands

At the time, the West conspired to ignore the clear evidence of genocide and refused to help General Dallaire's force as it tried to stop the massacres.

The killing continued for 100 days before a Tutsi-dominated rebel army seized control.

A fierce controversy has since arisen about who shot the plane down.

A French government investigation leaked to the press says that the then Tutsi rebels, led by Mr Kagame, fired the rockets.

President Kagame said that this was a ridiculous allegation designed by Paris to detract from French connivance with the Hutu extremists.

On Tuesday the government said it would accept an independent investigation into the incident.

Deputy Prosecutor-General Martin Ngoga said, however, that the continuing investigation into the genocide itself should take priority over this.

France rejects claim its army aided Rwanda genocide

Rwanda: How the genocide happened

What Clinton Knew About Rwanda Genocide

In 100 days, 1/10 of Rwanda's population was killed.

[ran 0]

i don't hold Kagame in much respect.

He's accusing the French government because some elements came up in the former president's plane crash inquiry trying to cover up some of his (nasty?) business.

France took no part in the killings and as you know, the french military gets involved a lot with several African militaries.

And you don't need to be a fucking genius to know how to use a machette or a Kalashnikov.

[Guest]

And its still a totally fkd up country, and has been fking up its neighbours as well (see Congo for instance). Totally fkd up part of the world unfortunately.

[Balschoiw 0]

the problem is that nobody really cares longterm.

I have been to Africa for several missions.

I have a "tradition" in UN missions in Africa that started with Somalia and went on from that time. Congo was my last one.

You know Africa is extremely hard to handle. They have not only problems , their whole life is a problem from the 1st day.

Noone is really interested in long-term solutions fro the african continent. I have the impression that the majority of the western world is more concerned about some desert animals than the people who suffer from AIDS, mines, wars, corruption, unenployment, starvation, diseases, virusses, poisoned water, child-labour, drugs, alcohol, weapons, warlords, tribal conflicts........................................

Endless list.

Sometimes I got the impression that white african inhabitants use that all. They use it to keep the people down. It´s easier to exploit them that way, no matter what.

Ok when you have a remarkable massacre at hand you can send some troops who deal with the rest, but it´s only to put out the fire temporarely.

Noone is really interested in a strong african continent right now. The cake is too small for them. We want economy and a reliant customer for our wells, solar power-plants, generators, our used and outdated weapons, our crop and we give them money. Money for exploiting their diamond, gold , uranium...

Little money of course because we help them

I´m pissed by that, but I can´t change it. The only thing I can do is to influence a very little part of that all. A very little part. That´s it.

[Tamme 0]

Noone is really interested in long-term solutions fro the african continent.

I am. I don't understand why the western world can't just use all the wealth and knowledge it possesses to help building africa. Hopefully I'll be able to do something about it in the future, but not yet. I'm too young, and I have no influence. Though I could do something like writing in papers, but that won't change anything in this case.

[llauma 0]

Noone is really interested in long-term solutions fro the african continent.

I am. I don't understand why the western world can't just use all the wealth and knowledge it possesses to help building africa. Hopefully I'll be able to do something about it in the future, but not yet. I'm too young, and I have no influence. Though I could do something like writing in papers, but that won't change anything in this case.

It's all about money.. As long as western countries and their companies can make big money of cheap raw materials nothing will be done. The leaders are often corrupted but they usually have a western country behind their backs.

The congo crisis for an example is being held alive by some financial forces that can loot the countries natural resources while the war is on going.

3.3 millions people has died because of this was since 1998.

[killagee 0]

Every time I think of what what happened in rwanda I want to cry. To think that the security council had TWO WEEKS warning, when the names and addresses of those to be killed were called out on public radio... The US and UK vetoed any UN reinforcements or action. Sickening.

There are great programmes on BBC World Radio About this at the moment.

[Guest]

Noone is really interested in long-term solutions fro the african continent.

I am. I don't understand why the western world can't just use all the wealth and knowledge it possesses to help building africa. Hopefully I'll be able to do something about it in the future, but not yet. I'm too young, and I have no influence. Though I could do something like writing in papers, but that won't change anything in this case.

It's all about money.. As long as western countries and their companies can make big money of cheap raw materials nothing will be done. The leaders are often corrupted but they usually have a western country behind their backs.

The congo crisis for an example is being held alive by some financial forces that can loot the countries natural resources while the war is on going.

3.3 millions people has died because of this was since 1998.

Exactly. Used a mobile phone lately? One quarter of the worlds Coaltan (spelling?) comes from the Congo. And mobile phones don't work without this substance. Corrupt and fkd up? You bet.