Rwanda's Devastating Price of Inaction

As international violence erupted in Kigali, the global community largely abandoned Rwanda, despite a 2,500-strong UN peacekeeping force having been stationed there since 1990. The UN's capacity was severely crippled, with numbers dwindling to just 700, as the Clinton Administration cited limitations on its interests in restoring order. The consequences of this inaction have been catastrophic, with 500,000 brutal deaths, 2.5 million refugees, and a destroyed economy.

Key Takeaways:

• The international community's withdrawal from Rwanda led to a drastic reduction in the UN peacekeeping force from 2,500 to 700, severely limiting its capacity to stop the violence.
• The inaction of the international community resulted in approximately 500,000 deaths, 2.5 million refugees, and the displacement of up to half of Rwanda's former population of 8 million.
• The destruction of the economy and the dismemberment of the educated civil service have left Rwanda on the brink of collapse.
• The crisis in Rwanda is ongoing, with refugees in Zaire dying of starvation and cholera.
• The World Bank staff member who penned the letter to the editor, Susanna Badgley Place, had just completed a job in Rwanda and was forced to flee due to the violence.

Statistics:

• 500,000 people were brutally killed during the violence in Rwanda.
• 2.5 million refugees fled Rwanda, while up to half of the country's former population of 8 million was displaced.
• The UN peacekeeping force was reduced from 2,500 to 700 after the international community's withdrawal.

Sources:

• The New York Times, July 25, 1994 (letter to the editor by Susanna Badgley Place)