Today is the anniversary of the start of the Rwandan Genocide. I’m more convinced than ever that we haven’t the learned any lessons about preventing the deliberate destruction of a people. What to do about that? Start with remembering and understanding. 1/
Comparing genocides makes little sense, but it’s important you understand that, contrary the lazy assumption that this was somehow a ‘primitive’ mass killing, that this was carefull organised and orchestrated project. Read this. 2/
You should also understand that we knew this was being planned. This was the intelligence received from a Hutu whistleblower and the telegram sent onto the United Nations. 3/
It is also important to know that we didn’t just fail to intervene. The UN had 2519 troops there. After 2 weeks their commander asked for 5 battalions (<4k soldiers) to stop the killing The UN withdrew all but a few hundred troops. The killers saw it as a green light. 4/
You should also know that the West did send troops in. First to rescue whites (and later to protect the killers). The evacuation lead to unimaginably grotesque scenes like these. 5/
You should know what the small group of UN troops left behind saw as they attempted rescue missions and diplomacy at huge personal risk. they came across scenes like these. Two snapshots of things replicated a million times over. 5/
You should also know what the brave NGOs, MSF and the Red Cross witnessed. In the end the NGOs took out newspaper adverts pleading for action “one cannot stop a genocide with medicines”, they said. 6/
African nations offered to send troops & asked the US for armoured personnel carriers. The US said they’d charge $15M. Nigeria’s ambassador to the UN said “Africa has fallen off the moral map of the world”. Reques ta to block to radio station directing genocide was refused. 7/
Tutsis were eveb abandoned by their Churches who often took an active role in killing. This desperate letter begging their Pastor for help from some of the thousands who were later massacred at Mugonero hospital. The Pastor instead transported the militia who would kill them. 8/
You should read what we adandoned hundreds of thousands of innocent people to. 9/
Rwanda is a beautiful amazing country. People there are just like you and your family. There’s nothing inevitable about genocide. It can be prevented if we care enough. When you hear excuses for inaction about genocide today, try and answer the question in this last excerpt. /10
Share this Scrolly Tale with your friends.
A Scrolly Tale is a new way to read Twitter threads with a more visually immersive experience.
Discover more beautiful Scrolly Tales like this.