Romeo Dallaire Quotes
While most nations seemed to agree that something had to be done, every nation seemed to have a reason why some other nation should do it. So we sat, waiting for a promise to be kept, reduced to the role of accountants keeping track of how many were being killed.
Romeo Dallaire, Canadian General and Commander of U. N. Peacekeeping Force in Rwanda, Description of his problems in doing much in the Rwandan genocide, Quoted in New York Times, May 15, 2005
Sourced by: Eigen's Political and Historical Quotations
When the Rwanda majority Hutus began to massacre the Tutsies, none of the member nations of the UN would send troops to stop the slaughter. Later, some blamed the United Nations. The “Knicks” were a New York professional basketball team, and Madison Square Garden was the building in which they played.
Annan had asked UN nations to contribute troops but few would.
Actually it was the United States which insisted in the veto which required consensus of the great powers of the time. It was Russia which ended up using it far more often than any other nation.
Roméo Antonius Dallaire OC CMM GOQ MSC CD is a Canadian humanitarian, author, retired senator and Canadian Forces lieutenant-general. Dallaire served as force commander of UNAMIR, the ill-fated United Nations peacekeeping force for Rwanda between 1993 and 1994, and attempted to stop the genocide that was being waged by Hutu extremists against the Tutsi people and Hutu moderates.
