Reporters: Alvin Chang
The grudge between the Hutu and Tutsi, two opposing ethnicities in Rwanda, is coming to an end! The upcoming conference, which will be held on March 1st in the Security Council, brings the world this thrilling news.
Historical Review
Decades ago, Belgium categorized the people of Rwanda into Hutu and Tutsi groups, which caused deepened ethnic tensions during the colonial period. After Rwanda gained independence in 1962, these tensions persisted and even worsened. In 1993, the ongoing conflict prompted the Security Council to intervene, thus establishing the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) in response to the Arusha Accords. However, the UNAMIR struggled to maintain stability due to various challenges. What’s worse, the assassination of two key political leaders last month pushed tensions to their breaking point. As a result, the Security Council decided to hold an urgent conference to address the escalating conflict in Rwanda.
Will the Security Council be a playground of rights for the permanent members?
The mandate of the Security Council is to maintain the peace of the world through non-military actions and, if necessary, military actions. However, the UNAMIR, one of those military actions taken by the Security Council, was found ineffective. The permanent members’ attitudes toward the ethnic conflict in Rwanda contributed to ineffectiveness. Thus, their responses to the ongoing conflicts are worth noticing.
Rwanda received assistance from France subject to a political reform, which asked Rwanda to transform the country’s political framework into a multi-party one in 1990. However, it turned out to exacerbate the ethnic conflict. Was France aware of the potential negative impact of the political reform? Or did France do it on purpose?
In the 1990s, China was undergoing economic reforms. From 1991 to 1994, a period in the worsened tension between Hutu and Tutsi, China exported large quantities of farming tools to Rwanda. These farming tools were then used as weapons. Was China aware of this situation? If she was, did it mean that China is a permanent country not worth her salt?
The USA, a dominant country, surprisingly adopted an indifferent attitude toward the situation in Rwanda. However, as a permanent member of the Security Council, the USA allowed UNAMIR to be sent to Rwanda. Was this approval just a slavish decision, or did the USA genuinely care about peace in Rwanda but choose to remain inactive for a time?
In the upcoming conference, the Security Council is going to discuss the potential resolution to the conflict and the improvement of the UNAMIR. Will peace become usual in Rwanda? Let’s wait and see the outcome.
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