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Rwanda a case study

Rwanda a case study. Haruka Yoshitome Hannah Wuzel. Historical Overview. Three tribes: Tutsi (“rich in cattle”), Hutu (“servant) and Twa (marginalized minority group) Scramble for Africa - Rwanda becomes part of German East-Africa in the late 19th century

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Rwanda a case study

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  1. Rwandaa case study • Haruka Yoshitome • Hannah Wuzel

  2. Historical Overview • Three tribes: Tutsi (“rich in cattle”), Hutu (“servant) and Twa (marginalized minority group) • Scramble for Africa - Rwanda becomes part of German East-Africa in the late 19th century • 1916: Belgian occupation, creation of the mandate Ruanda-Urundi • 1945: United Nations trust territory • Up from 1959: revolts by Hutu population, killing of large number of Tutsis • 1962: independence for Rwanda and Burundi

  3. Post-independence: Election of Hutu-dominated represen-tative government led by President Grégoire Kayibanda • 1973: ethnic unrest and violence heightens - Juvénal Habyarimana, (Hutu) and his party, the MRND, seize power; totalitarian order • 1990, October: Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), made up of Tutsi refugees and led by Paul Kagame, invades the country outbreak of civil war (regime: backed by France and francophone Africa, RPF: backed by Uganda) • 1993, August: Arusha Accords power sharing agreement between Hutu-dominated government and Tutsi rebel group • 1993, October - 1996, March: UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda under Jacques-Roger Booh-Booh and force commander Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire • 1994, April 6: assassination of Habyarimana, triggering the genocide in the course of which hundreds of thousands Tutsi and moderate Hutu are massacred

  4. The 1994 Genocide „Why do we hate the Tutsis? They are cockroaches. Rwanda is Hutuland. We are the majority. Tutsis are the minority. Hutus must kill all the Tutsis. Stay alert - watch your neighbours.“ 10,000 murdered every day, 400 every hour, 7 every minute Media/radio propaganda urging the Hutus to eliminate all Tutsis and moderate Hutus Genocide led by extremist groups Interahamwe and Impuzamugambi April 11: Assassination of PM and her Belgian peacekeeping guards leads to Belgium withdrawing its troops from Rwanda Desperate requests for reinforcement and permission to actively halt the genocide made by UNAMIR commanders were refused by Security Council Human Rights Watch: over 500,000 people massacred over the course of 100 days; other estimates:more than 1 million dead http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mQtMlxUqy4g

  5. Actions Taken by the International Community • The UN is preoccupied with Bosnia and Somalia. 2 days before discussing about sending troops into Rwanda, 18 US peacekeepers were killed in Somalia. • USA - We can not support this.African States - You have to help! UNAMIR is created but with limited funds and sources • January 11th - UN General Dallaire informs DPKO and requests armed forces, however, this request is declined repeatedly

  6. a day before the genocide begins, the Security Council meets up to discuss whether UNAMIR’s mission should be renewed or not. • USA - mission should end unless transitional government (under the framework of the Arusha Accords) is created now • Other members - give them more time. Additional UN forces should be provided April 5th: Resolution 909, pulling out in 6 weeks unless transitional government forms • Criticism: non-permanent members are not sufficiently supplied with information on the situation, for example the requests made by Dallaire • WHY...

  7. April 10th :Dallaire is told to prepare for withdrawal April 12th : Belgium withdraws from UNAMIR. UNAMIR’s current mission fails in terms of its present mandate. Soldiers are being exposed to unacceptable risks.

  8. 3 Alternatives for UNAMIR 1. Massive deployment of troops and a change of mandate to bring ceasefire, law and order and end to the killings. 2. Scale down the UNAMIR to a size of around 270 troops, charging negotiations and humanitarian relief assistance 3. Complete withdrawal of UNAMIR *non-permanent members were reliant on the council for information

  9. April 20th :Unanimous agreement for Alternative #2. (Resolution 912) • “one of the most ignominious actions of the international community in general and security council in particular” • -Adelman • April 28th, 29th: Abundant media coverage pressures the reconsideration of the UNAMIR mandate and the UN’s responsibility. • April 30th: Reconsideration of Resolution 912 because it does not give UNAMIR the mandate to protect civilians.

  10. May 17th: Security Council announces “acts of genocide may have been committed.” (5,500 troops are authorized under Resolution 918) • May 25th: USA states they have no vital interests in Rwanda (also: PDD25) • May 31st: UNAMIR 2 will deploy with or without a ceasefire because it is officially a genocide. • June 8th: Resolution 925 extends the mandate of UNAMIR. • May take up to another 3 months to fulfill its mandate

  11. Operation Turquoise • Given the situation of UNAMIR, France offers a multinational rescue mission until UNAMIR 2 fully deploys. • June 22nd : Resolution 929 allows France to set up humanitarian mission to protect Tutsis. • Questionable motives for the operation. • Mid-July, before OT is replaced by UNAMIR II, RPF ends the killings and has control over most of the country.

  12. June 22nd:Resolution 929„Operation Turquoise“ April 12th:Belgian Withdrawal October 5th:UNAMIR May 17th:Resolution 918 1996, March:UNAMIR leavesRwanda, havingfailed its priority mission 1993, August: Arusha Accords April 20th:Resolution 912 June 8th:Resolution 925 1994, April 5th: Reso-lution 909 August:UNAMIR takesover from OT

  13. Failures I ... where do we start. • Arusha Accords: unintended consequences to an act of preventive diplomacy • Flawed mandate of UNAMIR: no contribution by International Community to actually enforce the implementation of the Accords, resulting in failure • UNAMIR is in the country to keep peace, not make peace - what peace? • USA: refusal to classify the situation as a genocide, which would oblige them to intervene under the 1948 Genocide Convention

  14. Failures II • France: the country that should and could have, at an early point, halted the violence, hesitates for far too long and initially only “intervenes“ to evacuate expatriates and allies • Security Council: lack of circulation of information / communication within SC, no specific interest held by neither power to get involved in the cause • Even after Resolution was 925 is passed and troops are authorized to be sent to Rwanda, bureaucracy and delay in response caused them to arrive only months after the mass killings have ceased - slow process

  15. Great Lakes Refugee Crisis • The genocide ends when RPF defeated the national army and established a government of national unity. • 2 million Hutu refugees flee into surrounding countries for fear of persecution (mainly Zaire, Burundi, Tanzania) • UN sets up refugee camps; initially: great international support • Extremist militarization takes place in camps, used as a base for attacks and invasions by extremist Hutus into Rwanda

  16. Great Lakes Refugee Crisis • RPF criticizes UN for indirectly making such a development and new mobilization possible • Many relief agencies abandon aid efforts as they feel their efforts are being exploited • Conflict expands into Zaire, triggering the First Congo War (1996) and the Second Congo War (1998), that Rwanda is heavily involved in • Refugee camps, for example in Tanzania, dissolved

  17. Evaluation - UNAMIR (II) • Just cause - O • Use of force as last resort - O • Proportionality - X • High probability of positive outcome – O • Humanitarian intention - O • Humanitarian justification - O • Legality - O • Selectivity - O

  18. Evaluation - Operation Turquoise • Humanitarian motivation - X • Humanitarian justification -O • Legality - O • Selectivity - X • Just cause – △ • Use of force as last resort - △ • Proportionality – X/△ • High probability of positive outcome - △

  19. • November 1994 : The ICTR, an international court to judge people responsible for the Genocide is established. •the tribunal has finished 50 trials •convicted 29 accused persons •another 11 trials are in progress •14 individuals are awaiting trial in detention • Establishment of Gacaca courts. -this is a village court system based on Rwandan traditions.

  20. Rwanda Now • 2003, August : Kagame is elected President in the nation’s first popular vote. • 2009 :Rwanda and DRC (former Zaire) stage a joint military operation to rout out the Hutu extremist insurgency, restoring diplomatic relations between and Kigali and Kinshasa. • Infant mortality rates : 62.51 deaths/1,000 live births (Japan: 2.21 deaths/1,000 live births)

  21. Improving economy: poverty rate reduced from 57 to 45% • Low corruption. • “Singapore of Africa” –The Economist • Questionable democracy (93% of votes for Kagame in the presidential election) “Not Free” –Freedom House WatchOpposition leader sentenced to prison for 8 years.(2012)

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