mandate was soon increased to cover civil governance and security, which was a tough task, and it caused the mission to fail miserably. Peacekeepers who fought the Somali’s were killed, including 30 US commandos. Their bodies were drug along the streets of Mogadishu. This news was shared with the world, and it made America hesitant about sending more troops to Africa. The U.S. eventually withdrew the rest of their troops and did not want anything to do with Rwanda after that.
How the UN Failed Rwanda
The UN Security Council then established the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR). The UNMAIR was supposed to consist of 2,500 peacekeeping personnel, but the Security Council resolution did not include this. The final peacekeeping force consisted of only 1,400 troops, later reaching 2,500 after many months.
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The final peacekeeping force consisted of only 1,400 troops, later reaching 2,500 after many months. A set of rules were sent to the Secretariat ordering the UNAMIR to use force if necessary, but the headquarters never formally responded. This set up the greatest failure of the mission. The UN received information that the security in Rwanda was worsening, and death squads were all over Kigali the capital, ready to exterminate the Tutsis. The UN insisted that nothing would happen and that they would not take action until further assessment had been done. Before anything was done, it was already too late. Habyarimana (Hutu president) was assassinated, and over 800,000 Tutsis were murdered. The UNAMIR peacekeepers at that time had no choice but to watch it all unfold since there was no
authorization of force from the UN. The UN did not supply the mission with enough resources and did not offer clear instructions, which lead to the peacekeepers not being able to use force to defend themselves or even prevent any more killings. If America had chosen to get more involved, they would have been able to make a difference. Even if they did not send any more troops in to help, they could have assisted the UN to find a way to help. Instead, thousands of lives could have been saved if all sides would have kept up with their end of the bargain. As the world’s superpower, it is our responsibility to stand up and fight for what’s right.
A man tries to unlock a cell door at a hospital in Kigali, Rwanda in 1994. Due to the spread of the genocide across the country, doctors and staff of the main psychological hospital were killed, leaving patients forced to care for themselves.
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Works Cited Here