The UNAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda) was a UN assistance mission, set up on Rwandan soil during the 1994 genocide. The operation was led by General Jacques Roger Booh-Booh, while the command of field operations was entrusted to General Roméo Dallaire.
It has gone down in history as one of the biggest failures of the United Nations. But what motivated the most to make such a radically negative judgment on the UNAMIR?
First of all, it should be noted that two factors played a key role in the failure of the mission: the disorganization in management and the scarcity of available men and resources.
Regarding the first factor, it must be said that from the beginning the Rwandan affair was not considered too seriously. The awareness of the gravity of the events affecting the country of a thousand hills has been gradual, and this attitude has been faithfully mirrored precisely by the debut of UNAMIR in Rwanda.
The 5 October 1993, with 842 resolution, the Security Council was kicking off the UNAMIR, creating an army of 2548 soldiers. Maybe a few, for Rwanda. Kofi Annan's collaborators had already hypothesized at least 5000 men, and General Dallaire had requested no less than 4000 blue helmets. But the allocation of all those resources on Rwandan soil could seem an excessive scruple, especially in light of the recent failure of UNOSOM (United Nations Operation in Somalia).
With a quota reduced to the bone, but charged with optimism, Dallaire arrived in Rwanda. The gravity of the situation became apparent in his eyes right away: the genocide was sniffed in the air, and what would happen in the 1994 was nothing but the climax of a tragedy that had been going on for years. Victims of the spiral of violence and raids that sucked up Rwanda in those cursed days 100, were also 11 Belgian Blue Helmets, who lost their lives trying to help Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingimana in the escape.
Only in May 1994 (in full genocide and after countless requests for expansion of the mission presented by Dallaire) has emerged the urgency to enlarge the UNAMIR files. And this is where the second determining factor for the failure of the mission comes into play; in fact, the states of the international community have proved particularly reticent to offer contingents that would enrich the body of UNAMIR.
As previously written, the recent failure of UNOSOM pushed many countries towards strict inactivity, and some major powers (such as the United States) were said to be intent on drastically reducing the budget allocated to UN missions.
Paralyzed by these hostile factors, UNAMIR remained on Rwandan soil until March 1996.
UNAMIR's farewell to Rwanda was marked by a particularly stinging statement made by the Rwandan Foreign Minister, Anastase Gazana: "The UN has failed in Rwanda, they have failed during the genocide and are still doing so".
Francesca Ranieri
(photo: UN / web)
