UN failed Rwanda, says East African parliament

By Charles Kazoobakazcharlie@yahoo.com

The East African Parliament has castigated the United Nations over its failure to prevent the Genocide against the Tutsi, nineteen years ago, despite having a presence in Rwanda at the time of the conflict.

Consequently, EALA has passed a Resolution to Commemorate the Genocide against the Tutsi and urged the EAC Council of Ministers to designate April 7 every year, as the EAC Day of Reflection on Genocide against the Tutsi.

The Resolution in part admonishes the UN for its decision then, to reduce the numbers of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) troops, leading to the deaths of close to a million in Rwanda including thousands of those that had sought refuge at the UNAMIR sanctuary.  

This, the Resolution states, was done despite a UN Resolution of 21/912 which had adjusted UNAMIR’s mandate and Resolution 918 (1994) that expanded the force.

The Resolution moved by Hon Abubakar Zein Abubakar on April 18^th at a sitting in Kigali, takes cognisance, of the fact that the UN General Assembly globally adopted the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the crime of genocide against humanity on December 9^th, 1948.  

EALA also resolved to support the decision of the Council of Ministers to ensure that all the archives of the International Court of Tribunal of Rwanda are transferred to Rwanda.

The Assembly, however, reports of the saddening yet growing intention of denial with regards to Genocide against the Tutsi and the widespread hate speech through media and other relevant channels worldwide.

When debate opened, Hon Patricia Hajabakiga remarked that Rwanda’s civil society and the National Commission had acknowledged EALA’s support during the commemoration period.   Hon Nancy Abisai remarked that perhaps the EAC (had it been re-established) would probably have halted the horrendous act.

She remarked that certain emotive issues such as land, religion and ethnicity though factors that embrace unity, could spiral negatively, if not handled well and called for home-grown solutions to the challenges facing the region.

The Assembly declared its solidarity with the people and the government of Rwanda as they commemorate the 19^thanniversary of the callous act.  The Assembly states that the ideology of genocide should never be allowed and it is important for East Africans to build capacity to halt any future genocide and plan for the region’s common future.  It thus envisages holding a regional conference to that effect.