Rwanda: Genocide and International Humanitarian Law

Abstract

It was difficult to hold the international world, led by Boutros-Ghali, accountable for starting the Rwandan genocide, which was fueled by vile propaganda and the residual anger of the past that the prime minister's assassination had stoked. However, the UN might be held accountable for ignoring its obvious warning signals. The notorious "genocide fax" was sent to UN headquarters in January by General Romeo Dallaire, the Canadian commander of the tiny international peacekeeping force stationed in Rwanda. He alerted readers about the Hutu junta's intentions to "register all Tutsi" in order to get ready "for their extermination." Gen. Dallaire asked for permission to raid weapons caches that might end up in the hands of Hutus and facilitate their murderous plans in order to stop the carnage. At the time, Kofi Annan led UN peacekeeping efforts. refused his request, citing the need for the blue helmets to maintain their neutrality. The UN would turn a blind eye to the Rwandan situation, just like Pilate did, and genocide would ensue. To address this gap in action, the Responsibility to Protect (R2P) protocol was created, outlining a series of situations in which the UN can and ought to step in. The R2P protocol's development is the topic of this study. The topic of the UN is then examined, with a focus on the organization's capacity to deal with violations of human rights. Using Rwanda as a case study, the Responsibility to Protect protocol is discussed along with the difficulties Rwanda faces in applying international humanitarian law. Given this, the creation of the R2P protocolis reviewed, including background information and contemporary implications. A summary of the key ideas and issues covered in this research work is provided in the conclusion