The Global Conflict Of The United Nations

The documentary “Ghost in Rwanda” illustrates the devastation of the 1994 Genocide where approximately eight hundred thousand Rwandans were exterminated by their own government. The genocide was a result of ongoing conflicts between the Hutu, the ethnic majority in Rwanda, and the Tutsi the ethnic minority. The United Nation assisted in the establishment of a peace agreement between the two warring parties and sent General Romeo Dallaire, UN Force Commander, to Rwanda to ensure the terms of the agreement were honored. Dallaire had never seen action and welcomed opportunity to make a difference supporting peace in Africa. The peace mission was especially important to Dalliaire in light of recent U.N. failures to maintain peace in Somalia and Bosnia.

The United Nations failed Rwanda, in a time of need they abandoned the Rwandan people giving them no physical protection. Sadly, things go wrong with the slaughter of almost 800,000 Rwanda people, left defenseless in a country where no one outside cared. U.N. troops were present as only “peace-keepers.” The dispute was between the Hutus and Tutsis people could of been controlled if the U.N. changed their position, but the result could bring more consequences. This conflict between the two social groups in Rwanda,was left to be resolved on its own with many lives lost.

Rwanda has a long history that has contributed to their experiences of great violence and suffering and therefore the need for a peacekeeping. In pre-colonial times there was a division between the superior people being the Tutsi’ and the peasant people being the Hutu’s. King Ruganzu Ndori, being a Tutsi outlined Hutu’s area and showed no hesitation in treating any Hutu’s who opposed the order with unmitigated harshness.

The UN was sent to monitor this peace agreement. Although in 1994 Habyarimana and the Burundian president, both being Hutu’s, were killed after their plane was shot down. Hutu extremists, Militias, blamed the RPF, and immediately started a well-organised campaign of slaughter. The RPF said the plane had been shot down by Hutus to provide an excuse for the genocide. The 1994 genocide, killed around 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in just 100 days. Militias went out to kill people, they set up roadblocks and used ID cards to identify Tutsi’s which they slaughtered. Neighbours killed neighbours and some husbands even killed their Tutsi wives. Around 2 million Hutu refugees fled from RPF controlled areas to refugee camps in Burundi, Zaire and Tanzania. The Rwandan Genocide is said to be the most efficient, high-speed, low-tech mass killing the world had ever

Twenty years ago in the small east African country of Rwanda, eight hundred thousand people, mostly those of the Tutsi tribe, were slaughtered by their own government. The Hutu and the Tutsi tribes followed the same traditions and inhabited the same territory for over a thousand years. The rise of conflict between the Tutsi and the Hutu dates back to 1918, when the Germans lost their colonies following World War I, and the Belgians took control of Rwanda. In 1933, the Belgians establish the superiority of the "Tutsi" over the "Hutu" which lead to a great divide between these two groups (Admin of PBS.org). When the Belgians handed over power to the Hutu majority, a deep resentment of

In October 1993, the United Nations deployed a peacekeeping force, called United Nations Assistance Mission (UNAMIR), to Rwanda for the purpose of monitoring the cease-fire accord between the RFP and the Rwandan government. The UNAMIR consisted of 2,500 soldiers from 23 countries, with Canadian General Romeo Dallaire as the Commanding Officer. In December 1993, Dallaire received a letter from a Hutu informant revealing plans of mass murder of the Tutsis by the Hutus. Dallaire sent a cable to the United Nations warning of a potential genocide risk, however, the cable was disregarded. On April 8th, 1994, two days after the genocide began, Dallaire sent a message to the UN characterizing the killings as mass extermination. Again, his message was disregarded. After the death of 10 Belgium soldiers, 2230 UNAMIR troops were withdrawn, leaving only 270 unarmed troops under the command of Dallaire and hundreds of thousand Tutsis at the mercy of the Interahamwe. Chris McGreal, a senior writer for Guardian US and witness to the genocide, recalls Helena Nwitizina, a Rwandan survivor stating, "We knew the UN was abandoning us. We cried for them not to leave. Some people even begged for the Belgians to kill them because a bullet would be better than a machete" (McGreal 2). The Tutsis knew the UN could help, yet the UN decided to abandon them. Fortunately, with the onset of the genocide, the RPF

In the spring of 1994, more than eight thousand Rwandans were murdered, slaughtered, and bodies piled up upon the streets in less hundred days. But yet, the only reason this genocide had actually stopped, was at the cost of the Rwandan Patriotic Army, a militant group primarily composed of Rwandan refugees whom reclaimed Kigali, the capital of Rwanda. Yet, before the Rwandan genocide occurred, for many years, tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi had growth to extreme measures and lead to far more than just disputes- it lead to the Rwandan Genocide. The Rwandan Genocide was a mass slaughter of Tutsi and moderate Hutu in Rwanda by members of the Hutu majority in which the Hutu were the ones attempting to overrule the colony in

The Rwandan president, Habyarimana and the president of Burundi, Cyprien Ntaryamira, are killed when the president’s plane is shot down near Kigali Airport, on April 6th, 1994. That night on the 6th of April, 1994, the genocide begins. Hutu people take to the streets with guns and machetes. The Hutus set up roadblocks and stopped anyone that looked Tutsi or suspected of helping Tutsi people to hide. On April 7th, 1994 the Rwandan Armed Forces set up roadblocks and went house to house to kill any Tutsis found. Thousands of people die on the first, while the U.N. just stands by and watches the slaughter go on. On April 8th, 1994 the U.N. cuts its forces from 2,500 to 250 after ten U.N. soldiers were disarmed and tortured and shot or hacked to death by machetes, trying to protect the Prime Minister. As the slaughter continues the U.N. sends 6,800 soldiers to Rwanda to protect the civilians, on May 17th, 1994, they were meant to be the peacekeepers. The slaughter continues until July 15th, 1994, in the 100 days that the genocide lasted 800,000-1,000,000 Tutsis and Hutus

The United Nations Assistance Mission For Rwanda was a United Nations attempt to implement the Arusha Accords, which was meant to end the conflict between the RPF and Hutu dominant government. However, once Habyarimana was assassinated, the treaty was immediately forgotten. The militia were killing all Tutsi and suspected Tutsi, and the RPF retaliated. During the genocide that ensued, the United Nations did nothing to

“ Here is a task truly of, by and for the world, one that should rally nations. The nature of this task however, must be clearly understood; only then can suitable means for accomplishing it be formulated, only then can the role that the United Nations could and should play be appreciated” ( Wilcox/Haviland, 29). There are many international organizations that have been talked about throughout this semester. One of the most important ones is The United Nations. The United Nations was established October 24, 1945, and has since then been impacting the country. The United Nations main purpose according to the lecture notes is “ to provide a global additional structure through which states can sometimes settle conflicts with less reliance on the use of force , for whole purpose of the United Nations is to provide the globe a forum by which countries may settle disputes through this forum peacefully as opposed to relying on a force which has been the case historically” ( Kopalyan, Module 8). Thus meaning The United Nations was set up to handle problems peacefully rather than going to war to try and solve problems. “Powerful economic as well as political forces are at work to bring about a growing integration of the world community, and the United Nations and its related agencies are uniquely fitted to assist in the task” (Wilcox/Haviland,45). This was some of the reason that the United Nations was created.

The United Nations, with its rigid moral and political limitations against force, has become a benchmark of peace and a social achievement of modern times. From war torn Europe, the United Nations developed from five major powers with an initial goal to prevent the spread of warfare through peaceful means and to establish and maintain fundamental human rights. Through the past fifty years, this organization has broadened its horizons with auxiliary organizations from peace keeping missions to humanitarian aid, to economic development. However, in a modern example of ethnic cleansing, the UN faces new a new role as a bystander as its power is bypassed by NATO forces. The UN, however, promises to be an

The United Nations had a main purpose as to why is was created in 1945. After World War II, it was vital to replace the League of Nations to prevent conflicts and avoid extreme tragedies across the globe. There are numerous parts of the United Nations, but six major organs to make up this organization. Within all the organs, there are eight main goals they focus on, in hopes of protecting humanity. Since 1945, questions have raised the public’s attention as to how successful the United Nations is at attaining these goals. There are multiple allegations towards the United Nation’s effectiveness and use of funding. As the United States being the largest contributor, it is time to further investigate the United Nations to understand its shortcomings and inadequacies.

Throughout the history of mankind, certain groups of people have taken advantage over others to control the economy and power through killing, terrorizing and discriminating against others. For my research, I decided to focus on the Rwandan genocide. There are three types of groups in Rwanda; the Hutu covering about 85% of the population, the Tutsis covering 14% of the minority groups and lastly, the Twa only comprising 1% of the population (White, 2014, p.1). The international community failed to intervene in the bloody Genocide of Rwanda between April 7, 199 to July 1994. The UN defended itself by claiming that there was lack of any universal known proof. Their unwillingness to step up in a timely manner and the past unsuccessful peacekeeping experience in Mogadishu led to the loss of 800,000 Tutsis.

Over the past decades, the UN has grown and developed in the twists and turns of the international issues and in the tensions between various demands. By 2013, the membership of the UN has increased from 51 to 193 since the time of its creation. And it has become the most universal and authoritative international organization composed of sovereign states. It has made remarkable accomplishments in achieving

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) is one of the principal organs of the United Nations. According to article 24 of the UN Charter, the Security Council’s primary responsibility is the ‘maintenance of international peace and security’ (UN Charter, 1945). In order to achieve this, the UNSC is the only United Nations organ that is able to issue resolutions that are ‘legally binding on all member states’ (Butler, 2012:27). However the UNSC is far from perfect and there are flaws that prevent it from successfully carrying out its mandate. Since it’s creation and the end of the Cold War, the UNSC has found it increasingly difficult to successfully maintain international peace and security. Criticisms have been raised on the UNSC’s small size, unequal representation, exclusive nature and veto powers. In addition to this there have been strong calls for reform. In this paper I will discuss the flaws that prevent the UNSC from working effectively these include political paralysis, use of the veto and the ‘hyper puissance’ of the USA superpower.