The International Community Let Down Rwanda in 1994– president

Rwandan President Paul Kagame expressed his disappointment with the international community for their failure to prevent the devastating genocide that took place in Rwanda in 1994. Speaking at a memorial ceremony in Kigali, Kagame emphasized the magnitude of the loss suffered by his country and the lessons learned from the tragic event.

Despite the immense tragedy, Kagame highlighted the remarkable progress that Rwanda has made since then, attributing it to the collective decision to rebuild the nation. The genocide, which lasted for 100 days, saw the systematic massacre of Tutsis and moderate Hutus by extremist Hutus.

The killings began shortly after the assassination of Rwanda’s then-president, with the Tutsis being wrongly blamed for the attack. Kagame also acknowledged the support provided by neighboring countries, such as Ethiopia, Uganda, and Tanzania, in accepting Tutsi refugees and helping to put an end to the mass killings.

The Rwandan leader expressed that it was not the soldiers who failed Rwanda, but rather the international community, whether out of contempt or cowardice.

The blame has been placed on the international community, particularly France, by the authorities in Kigali. They accuse France of protecting some of the perpetrators of the massacres and refusing to extradite them to Rwanda.

While the French government denies complicity in the killings, they have acknowledged their responsibility for not responding to the events that led to the genocide.

French President Emmanuel Macron admitted that France and its allies could have prevented the genocide but lacked the determination to do so. Former US President Clinton has also acknowledged that the massacre was the biggest failure of his administration.