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Thirty years ago the world failed to stop the Rwandan genocide. Now we fail Gaza (www.theguardian.com)

submitted 6 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) by Linkerbaan@lemmy.world to c/politics@lemmy.world

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The 100 days of killing that became known as the Rwandan genocide began on 7 April 1994. Hutu extremists murdered about 800,000 Tutsis while major powers, led by the US, found reasons not to save them.

Even as evidence of the atrocities mounted, Bill Clinton ordered his own staff not to call the killings a genocide, because that would have drawn political and legal pressures for US intervention, and blocked the United Nations security council from sending troops to stop the slaughter.

The US wasn’t alone. French soldiers in Rwanda rescued foreigners and their pets but did nothing to save ordinary Tutsis. Instead, France indulged its colonialist fantasies about regions of influence and sought to prop up the Hutu extremist government leading the genocide.

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[-] Carmakazi@lemmy.world 30 points 6 months ago

Attempt to genocide an entire people, nothing meaningful happens.

Attempt to disrupt the global oil supply, the West puts together a 42-nation military coalition to go and push your shit in.

Human lives sadly have little value in realpolitik.

[-] billiam0202@lemmy.world 9 points 6 months ago

Russia's invasion of Ukraine disrupted the global oil supply, and yet the US has done comparatively little (so to speak) to stop it.

Probably because it's an election year, and also that a significant portion of one political party supports Russia.

[-] Carmakazi@lemmy.world 6 points 6 months ago

You're not wrong, but tackling a nuclear power like Russia probably takes more nuance than taking on Saddam or Milosevic.

The Republicans definitely tie our hands even on measured responses, and I hope history remembers them as the degenerate traitors they are.

[-] aubeynarf@lemmynsfw.com -5 points 6 months ago

Genocide is a noun. Example: You don’t dinner your guests. You feed them dinner.

[-] Zehzin@lemmy.world 2 points 6 months ago

I'm gonna locker you

[-] Drinvictus@discuss.tchncs.de 26 points 6 months ago

They failed the initial test

[-] Cypher@lemmy.world 4 points 6 months ago

The international reaction to Rwanda was informed by the disastrous peacekeeping attempt in Somalia which was initiated in December 1992.

There was no political will amongst any nations to mire themselves in another costly and deadly intervention in Africa.

To point the finger at the US and allies is to ignore the historical and political context in which these events occurred.

this post was submitted on 11 Apr 2024

192 points (91.4% liked)

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