Role of the international community in the Rwandan Genocide

This article details the role of the international community in the Rwandan Genocide.

Belgium

Belgium was the last colonial power in Rwanda, and the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) was initially mostly composed of Belgian soldiers, until they were withdrawn. The Belgian General Information and Security Service knew of the genocidal intentions of the Habyarimana regime.

On January 25, 1994 a French DC-8 landed secretly at night in Kigali with a load of arms including ninety boxes of sixty mm mortars originally made in Belgium but coming from France.

After the attack of April 6, 1994, the Radio des milles collines spread the rumor that Belgian soldiers from United Nations Mission for Assistance in Rwanda were the source. The Rwandan presidential guard captured and assassinated prime minister Agathe Uwilingiyimana and her husband, as well as the ten Belgian soldiers assigned to protect them. This dramatic episode drove Belgium into a depressive consternation which entailed Belgium's disengagement from UNAMIR. As to justify its decision, Belgium carried the UN along with a spiralling number of countries who were leaving UNAMIR. An informer, known as "Jean-Pierre" by General Dallaire, had revealed to Dallaire that the people behind the genocide were counting on the fact that western nations couldn't tolerate their own casualties without pulling out of the mission.

Starting with April 7, Belgium demanded an extension from the...
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