Copyright: 2003

Publisher: Carroll & Graf

ISBN: 0-7867-1510-3

Lt. General Romeo Dallaire was the UN commander in Rwanda during the genocide debacle in 1994.  In this intense accounting of the UN actions (and inactions) during the 100 day civil war, Dallaire doesn't pull any punches.  He places blame squarely where blame is due, even pointing the finger at his own blunders and short comings.  He pointedly deals with his own mental health degradation towards the end of the conflict and makes no excuses for himself or anyone else.  In his final conclusions he states plainly that the Rwandans are to blame for the genocide but that the rest of the world sat on the sidelines while it happened was an unconsiounable failure.

The UN

While the book contains a great deal of detail regarding the atrocities that occured, the bulk of the book is reminiscent of Eisenhower's accounts of World War II and his Presidency.  The book is filled with details of the inner workings of the political machinery and insights into the ugliness of how government works in time of war.

I learned from this book that Kofi Annan was heading up the Department of Peace Keeping Operations at the UN during the Rwandan conflict.  While Dallaire seems to respect Annan, he points out that Annan was key in keeping intervention forces out of Rwanda at a time when they could have stopped much of the killing.  The lack of cooperation among key elements of the United Nations is painfully clear in Dallair's account.

The political storms that surround actions in the UN are part and parcel the reason I doubt the usefulness of the institution.  The "united" portion of the moniker seems to apply only when convenient.  Dallaire's account of the end runs and political intrigue that accompany every decision at the UN are fascinating.  Since Dallaire largely considers Rwanda an example of a UN failure, his perception is undoubtedly biased but he paints a pretty clear picture of "divided nations".

How Many Deaths Does it Take?

At one point in the book, Dallaire laments that it was difficult to get the world to care about Rwanda.  He mentions that the media spent more time talking about Tanya Harding's criminal difficulties than they did about the hundreds of thousands of dying Rwandans.  I vividly recall the media frenzy during that time frame and I only vaguely recall the Rwandan conflict making the news. 

I wonder if these had been deaths in Europe or Asia or even Israel / Palestine, if the media would have covered it more closely?  Recent events in the Gaza strip have received much attention, and deservedly so, but its an interesting point of human nature that we seem to ignore problems in Africa.  I am a far cry from a bleeding heart liberal but Dallaire's book made me think long and hard about these issues. 

Conclusion

There are some very raw parts of this book as Dallaire tries to give us a small glimpse into the hardships that the Rwandans faced.  He spares no details when it comes to describing some of the brutality and squalid living conditions that he and his men witnessed and endured.  I found the book fascinating to read and I would recommend it to anyone who wants to understand the Rwandan conflict a little better.