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Al-Ahram Weekly 10 - 16 August 2000 Issue No. 494 
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Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Al-Ahram Weekly 10 - 16 August 2000 Issue No. 494
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| Published in Cairo by AL-AHRAM established in 1875 |
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Egypt Region International Economy Opinion Culture Books Travel Living Sports Profile People Time Out Chronicles Cartoons Rwanda: what the world knew
By Faiza Rady
* In October 1990, 300 Tutsi are slaughtered
in Kabirira. Human Rights Watch reports
this early massacre.* In January 1991, an estimated 500 to 1000
Tutsi are killed in Kinigi.* The French daily Le Monde denounces the
propagation of virulent, racist anti-Tutsi
propaganda in the Rwandan press,
specifically referring to editorials in the
Hutu Kangura newspaper.* In February 1991, the US State
Department reports the arbitrary detention of
5000 Rwandan civilians.* In May 1991, the London-based human
rights organisation, Amnesty International,
accuses the Rwandan government of gross
human rights violations, citing the October
1990 mass detention of 8000 civilians and
documents many instances of organised
torture and rape.* In June 1992, The New York Times covers
the May 1991Amnesty report.* In October 1992, the Belgian paper De
Standard exposes the existence of extremist
Hutu death squads and reports on rampant
killings .* In December 1992, Africa Watch reports
that government troops are on killing sprees.* In February 1993, an International
Commission of Inquiry on Human Rights
Abuse in Rwanda, consisting of members of
four human rights organisations, reports that
more than 2000 Tutsi were murdered on
ethnic grounds since October 1990. The press
release raises the possibility of genocide.* Le Monde covers the report.
* The US State Department reports on
massacres in Bugesera and Bagogwe and the
disappearances of Tutsi youths.* In March 1993, the International
Commission of Inquiry presents its report in
Brussels and Paris. Le Monde discusses
French military assistance and political
support to Rwanda in light of the
International Commission's findings.* In June 1993, Human Rights Watch
publishes a report on January and February
massacres in the northwest.* In August 1993, the UN Special Rapporteur
on Summary and Extrajudicial Executions
issues a report based on a mission to Rwanda
and concludes that the recent massacres seem
to fulfil the Genocide Convention definition
of genocide: violence is increasing, extremist
propaganda is rampant and militias are
organised.* In January 1994, Jean-Pierre Turatsinze, a
commander-turned-informant of the In
terahmwe militia (death squad affiliated
with the ruling party, Le Mouvement
National pour la Démocratie et
le Développement) told General Romeo
Dallaire, the commander of
UNAMIR (UN peace-keeping mission for
Rwanda) that he had been ordered to register
all Tutsi in Kigali. Turatsinze suspected that
the plan was to exterminate the entire Tutsi
population, explaining that his men were
trained to kill up to1000 Tutsi in 20 minutes.
He offered to guide UNAMIR officials to a
large cache of guns. Dallaire informed the
UN Department of Peace-keeping
Operations in New York, headed by Kofi
Annan. Annan's office denied Dallaire
permission to seize the weapons, on the
grounds of UAMIR's limited mandate in
Rwanda.
