Ghost of Rwanda

A Genocide to Never Happen Again 

 

I came across this documentary as a part of my International Relations course. We were exploring the dynamics of Non-Governmental Organizations (NGO's), such as the United Nations, and how certain models of decision making dealt with war and strife. 

At the very beginning, I was rushed with so many emotions. The lack of prior knowledge for the region, the sheer gruesome actions of those committing the atrocities, and the amount of perseverance of the peacekeepers and survivors left me shaken up. I kept thinking back to the Africans textbook, and how the conflict originated in 1870 over the "multiplication of aristocratic lineages, their violent competition for power at the expense of monarchy, the expansion of cattle herds..."  

To some, this history may seem trivial, but seeing what it had manifested into just goes to show how complicated identities can be. Matters were made worse when the peacekeepers were given orders to not to intervene with the conflict and to face civilians who were pleading for help. There was even a scene where Belgian troops were called in to evacuate all Belgian citizens. These troops went to an office building where people had barricaded themselves in. Rwandan citizens had begged the troops to protect them and take the citizens to safety. When the troops didn't respond, the Rwandan people had pleaded with the journalist who couldn't do anything. Eventually, the Belgian citizens were removed and Rwandan natives were left behind. Moments later Hutu extremists stormed the area and killed all those in the building. 

We will be finishing the documentary sometime this week. I will give my last thoughts on this blog in due time.