A Critical Assessment to the Failure of UN Peacekeeping and Security Council in Preventing the 1994 Rwandan Genocide

A Critical Assessment to the Failure of
UN Peacekeeping and Security
Council in Preventing the 1994
Rwandan Genocide

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
A Critical Assessment to the Failure of UN Peacekeeping and Security Council in Preventing the
1994 Rwandan Genocide.................................................................................................................2
REFERENCES..............................................................................................................................13

INTRODUCTION
The Security Council and peacekeeping considered as a unique and dynamic instrument
which is developed to help nations torn by conflicts, in order to create the situations for lasting
peace. It is also known as peacemaking or peace-building enforcement that is made on three
main principles. It includes consent of parties, non-use of force despite in self-defence or defence
of mandate. Here, countries act as peacemakers and actively engaged in preventing and
protecting civilians, reducing violence, eradicating conflicts and strengthening security as well. It
compromises with near about 25 countries with five permanent nations (China, Russia, France,
United Kingdom and United States) and 10 elected members. These members meet on regular
basis to assess the conditions which may create threats for international security. But they utterly
failed to prevent and stop the most cruel and atrocity case- 1994 Rwandan genocide. Here, more
than 750,000 Hutu and Tutsi were killed in this incident due to peacekeeping fatigue, a
misguided view of African conflicts and bureaucratic nature of United Nations.
The present essay is going to examine efforts of UN Peacekeeping and Security Council
in the Post-Cold War era. It identifies reasons behind such an inhumanity act, theories of
idealism, realism, pluralism and constructivism, are examined. In order to provide a historical
context for reviewing the earliest peacekeeping mission, critical analysis is also done on case
study of Rwanda genocide. This genocide has occurred after international peace agreements and
fallen within confines of civil war. This article is mainly divided into two major sections, where
part one make a discussion on whether there is any kind of recognized principle which is
intervention in international society on humanitarian grounds 1. Therefore, drawing on such
conceptions of international society in terms of solidarist and pluralist, arguments are also made
in critical manner, with the support of United Nations (UN) Charter and International law. After
examining this general theory, another part of this article deals with main case i.e. Rwanda
Genocide. Here, principle of humanitarian intervention is examined and also made some
arguments on response of UN towards Rwandan crisis. Under this essay, a detailed analysis on
different ways the United Nation Security Council has been held responsible for such incident
i.e. fail to mitigate and prevent the genocide, also carried out. It includes four major areas that
are- failures in decision-making, communication, deliberation and implementation.
1 Balabanova, Ekaterina. The media and human rights: (The cosmopolitan promise.
Routledge, 2014).
1

A Critical Assessment to the Failure of UN Peacekeeping and Security
Council in Preventing the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
The Security Council of United Nations is mainly established to impose binding
obligations on near about 193 member states, in order to resolve conflicts and maintain peace in
the aftermath of Second World war. This council includes five permanent nations, where elected
members meet on regular basis to address issues which include civil wars, terrorism, inhumanity
activities, assess threats on international security and more. These five countries have powered to
take veto actions for a resolution where ten elected members of councils serve 2-year, are not
afforded such power. Along with this, Soviet Union and The United Kingdom were outright
victors of war and provide support to shape postwar political order. The elected members of P5
(France, Russia, United Kingdom and Unites States) have exercised this veto power to make
peace in the world. In this regard, when Soviet Union held its seat, at that time Russia has been
the first country who frequently use veto to block near about one hundred resolutions after
founding of councils 2. Further, United States has become second one and China as third for
vetoing a resolution. In order to maintain the international peace and security, presidency of
council rotates on monthly basis. This criteria is considered as financial or troop contribution for
peacekeeping operations on different matters of regional security, which likely to be appeared
before the council.
For maintaining or restoring international peace and security, members of Security
Council take more assertive actions like authorising the use of force, imposing sanctions etc. In
context with Rwanda genocide case of 1994, here members of Hutu belongs to ethnic majority of
east-central African states, were murdered where mostly belongs to Tutsi minority also. It has
been concluded from this article that resident government or armed conflict itself is main cause
of suffering which poses a threat to human lives. The armed intervention within a sovereign state
has seen as an extreme and most crucial act under extreme conditions, where actions less than
military force have demonstrated as less commitment as well as resolve on the basis of
intervener. Under this article, military interventions on humanitarian grounds is majorly focused
to analyse the reasons behind failure of UN Security Council, in preventing civilians from
Rwanda Genocide.
2 Banteka, Nadia. "Dangerous Liaisons: (The Responsibility to Protect and a Reform of
the UN Security Council." Colum. J. Transnat'l L. 54 2015: 382).
2