The world wouldn't listen.

In Rwanda: A Memorial to
the victims of the genocide 

General Romeo Dallaire, Commander of U.N. forces in Rwanda in 1994, tried to tell the world that genocide was happening in Rwanda, but world governments refused to listen.

He repeatedly asked for more troops to save people's lives and even defied U.N. orders to withdraw from Rwanda, but all his requests were denied. No major powers wanted to intervene.

 Read Dallaire's story at The General and the Genocide.

Photo by Sue Nichols, University Relations,  Michigan State University
(Used with permission)

Discussion:
Dallaire blames western governments for not intervening and argues that lives could have been saved if they had done so. What might have happened differently if they had listened to him?

Comments

[Sung Hwi Chung]

If western governments had listened to Dallaire, many Rwandans wouldn’t have died or been hurt. During the genocide, about 800,000 Rwandan civilians died, many people killed their neighbors. Rwanda genocide was horrific. The U.N had sent 2,600 armys and Dallaire to Rwanda, but they needed more equipped soldiers. However the U.N turned Dallaire down for Rwanda. It was advisable for the western governments to help and they could have helped Rwanda. I can’t tell if it was other countries’ fault because they may have thought Rwandan genocide was just a revolution.

[Mi Hye Ahn]

I think that if western governments had intervened in genocide, so many people wouldn't have died. At that time, Rwanda didn't have its own powerful government, so they didn't have the ability to quiet down by themselves. Therefore, if the western governmenst that had power had intervened in genocide, they would have helped to control that situation and the genocide would not have happened.

[Yong Jin Lee]

If western governments had intervened in the Rwanda genocide, there could be many more Rwandan people alive now. Women need to do tough work because there are not so many men now. Hutus were not real soldiers and their weapons were not as professional as real army's weapons. If western governments had intervened, of course, they would have injured some people, but they could have saved many more people than they injured. I think they should intervene if genocide happens again.

[Lim Ju Hee]

General Romeo Dallaire several times requested the whole world to help Rwanda, but nobody listened to his request. If the wes

[Eunjin Kim]

If the western governments had listened to General Romeo Dallaire, the genocide would not have happened but the western governments ignored his words and a small tribal conflict extended to genocide.
If the western governments had sent some soldiers to Rwanda, the genocide could have been settled, and a lot of persons who lived in Rwanda could have survived instead of dieing. It is a life and death problem to stop genocide in the whole world.

[Demba]

Dallaire is a man with many experiences. He knows a lot about wars and was familiar with Rwanda too. While Dallaire was trying to handle the war, the UN showed a sign of weakness ordering his troops to withdraw. Thus, more than 800 000 people have been killed. Many persons would have been saved if Dallaire had the opportunity to fight.

[Seo, InJi]

If they had listened to him, the situation in Rwanda could have changed a lot. If western governments had intervened in the genocide as quickly as possible, many victims wouldn’t have died.

[Lee, Eun Hyun]

If western governments had listened to him and had intervened the Rwanda genocide, many things might have been changed. Genocide might have finished more earier and many people could have been saved.

[Sujeong Hong]

Western governments should have listened to his request. If they had dispatched troops to Rwanda, many people's lives would have been saved. I hope the governments also were convinced of their mistake and will do not it again.