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Rwanda Genocide Research Paper

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Genocide and the place of international intervention have been at the center of ethical debate for quite some time in international humanitarian law. Much debate has surrounded the idea that the Rwandan genocide could have been stopped with the help of international intervention, however, it is worthwhile to note the motives why this was not the case and where morality comes into play. According to the Oxford dictionary morality can be defined as “a particular system of values and principles of conduct concerning the distinction between right and wrong.” Though UN representatives, peacekeepers, and some media outlets were reporting on the issues on the ground level, action was minimal from both the UN and from “western” countries.

Though much of the blame is geared towards the U.S. for not intervening, there are a number of different countries that had the financial and military capability of intervening. However, more intriguingly, one must question whether nations had a moral obligation to intervene and consequently, be …show more content…

During this time the UN was present on the ground in order to keep peace, but when the hostility began in 1994, they withdrew as it was considered a civil war. In cases of civil war, it is typical for entities to withdraw in order to respect sovereignty. In the case of Rwanda, where obvious mass destruction and genocide was taking place, countries fear intervening as this would break their stance on neutrality. Neutrality is significantly important especially for a multilateral organization such as the UN as adopting a neutral stance “helps mediators to establish trust, credibility, and respect. It is commonly thought that if a mediator is unable to maintain a neutral stance, codes of ethics and standards of practice require that he or she withdraw from the

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