A People Betrayed : The Role of the West in Rwanda's Genocide

Events in Rwanda in 1994 mark a landmark in the history of modern genocide. Up to one million people were killed in a planned public and political campaign. In the face of indisputable evidence, the Security Council of the United Nations failed to respond. In this classic of investigative journalism, Linda Melvern tells the compelling story of what happened. She holds governments to account, showing how individuals could have prevented what was happening and didn't do so. The book also reveals the unrecognised heroism of those who stayed on during the genocide, volunteer peacekeepers and those who ran emergency medical care. Fifteen years on, this new edition examines the ongoing impact of the 1948 Genocide Convention and the shock waves Rwanda caused around the world. Based on fresh interviews with key players and newly-released documents, A People Betrayed is a shocking indictment of the way Rwanda is and was forgotten and how today it is remembered in the West. A People Betrayed Contains A Full Narrative Account Of How The Genocide Unfolded. It Describes Its Scale, Speed And Intensity. It Is A Terrible Indictment, Not Just Of The Un Security Council, But Of Governments And Individuals Who Could Have Prevented What Was Happening But Chose Not To Do So. Drawing On A Series Of In-depth Interviews, The Author Also Tells The Story Of The Unrecognized Heroism Of Those Who Stayed On During The Genocide; Volunteer Un Peacekeepers; Their Force Commander, The Canadian Lt-general Romeo A Dallaire; And Philippe Gaillard, The Head Of A Delegation Of The International Committee Of The Red Cross, Helped By Medical Teams From Medecins Sans Frontieres.--jacket. 1 Genocide, April 1994 1 -- 2 The Past Is Prologue: Rwanda 1894-1973 7 -- 3 The Involvement Of France, Egypt And Uganda 24 -- 4 Akazu: The Oligarchy Ruling Rwanda 39 -- 5 Peace In Rwanda? The Arusha Accords 52 -- 6 Preparing The Genocide 61 -- 7 The Hate Radio: Radio-té́lévision Libre Des Mille Collines 70 -- 8 The New World Order And High Hopes For A Un Success 74 -- 9 Peacekeepers: The Un Arrives 82 -- 10 Peacekeepers In Trouble: February-april 1994 99 -- 11 The Un Security Council: 5 April 1994 111 -- 12 Four Days In Kigali: 6-9 April 1994 115 -- 13 The Genocide Exposed 137 -- 14 The Secret Meetings Of The Security Council 152 -- 15 Genocide Spreads 168 -- 16 The World Shuts The Door 186 -- 17 For Valour 210 -- 18 Starting From Zero: 18 July 1994 222 -- 19 The Genocide Convention 227 -- Appendix 2 Convention On The Prevention And Punishment Of The Crime Of Genocide, 1948 251. Linda Melvern. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [256]-264) And Index. Events in Rwanda in 1994 mark a landmark in the history of modern genocide. Up to one million people were killed in a planned public and political campaign. In the face of indisputable evidence, the UN Security Council failed miserably in its response. In this classic of investigative journalism, Linda Melvern tells the compelling story of what really happened, revealing both the scale, speed and intensity of the unfolding genocide, as well as exposing the governments and individuals who could have prevented what was happening, if they had chosen to act. The book also tells the unrecognised heroism of those who stayed on during the genocide - from volunteer peacekeepers to courageous NGO workers. Twenty-five years on from one of the darkest episodes in modern history, A People Betrayed is a shocking indictment of how Rwanda was ignored then and how today it is remembered in the West. In 1994 up to one million people were killed in Rwanda in a deliberate, public and political campaign. For five years, Linda Melvern has worked on the story of this great crime, and this book, a classic piece of investigative journalism, is the result. The new and startling information this book contains has the making of an international scandal. Melvern reveals how the great powers failed to heed the warnings of the coming catastrophe, andrefused to recognize the genocide when it began, ignoring obligations under international law, specifically the genocide convention. A set of secret documents leaked to the author from within the Security Council proves that the circumstances of the genocide were suppressed or ignored. For five years, Linda Melvern has worked on the story of the 1994 genocide in Rwanda. In this book, she demonstrates how the great powers ignored signs of the coming catastrophe, refused to recognize the genocide when it began, and ignored obligations under the international genocide convention. Linda Melvern's classic, investigative account of the Rwandan genocide, now with a new Introduction