Rwanda and Sudan: Simply Recognizing Genocide is Not Enough
CONGRESSIONAL RECORD
SENATE
Oct. 7, 2004
RWANDA AND SUDAN: SIMPLY RECOGNIZING GENOCIDE IS NOT ENOUGH
Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, this summer and fall, a lot of us have been drawing comparisons between Sudan today and Rwanda a decade ago. The October 4, 2004 edition of the New York Times contains a piece furthering this argument by one who is uniquely qualified to do so: retired General Roméo Dallaire, who was the commander of the United Nations forces in Rwanda during the genocide.
Ten years ago, General Dallaire pleaded for more troops to stem the rising tide of murders that were sweeping across Rwanda. Instead of sending reinforcements, the United Nations cut his peacekeeping force from 3,000 to 500, leaving Dallaire and his troops to witness the mass killings that they did not have a prayer of stopping. In the aftermath of this decision, 800,000 people died in 100 days.
Ten years ago, the African Union promised battalions to stop the killing but lacked the equipment and logistical support to come to the assistance of Dallaire and the people of Rwanda. Those forces never arrived in any numbers.
Today, genocide is again taking place, this time in Sudan. Secretary General Kofi Annan has recognized it. President Bush has recognized it. But again the world is essentially standing by.
Last month, the Senate passed an amendment to the Foreign Operations appropriations bill which provided $75 million to support an expanded African Union mission in Darfur, Sudan. This bill is now in conference. It is vitally important that it pass with this measure and additional assistance for Sudan relief efforts intact.
President Clinton has said that failure to act in Rwanda constitutes his greatest regret as president. That is not a failure that we can bear to repeat. It is not enough for the international community to recognize genocide. This time, we actually have to stop it.
I ask unanimous consent that General Dallaire's op-ed from the New York Times be printed in the RECORD.
There being no objection, the material was ordered to be printed in the RECORD, as follows: