Signs Of Genocide

By addressing the signs of genocide and past failures the international community will be able to formulate an action plan to prevent future genocides. This paper will first outline what genocide is and the signs of genocide. Then the paper will discuss past failures of genocide prevention/intervention. Lastly, the paper will provide possible solution to avoid any future genocide.

Sub-topic 1: Genocide Outline - Signs of genocide

In order to prevent genocide it is important to establish what the signs leading up to one are. First, genocide occurs when an influential group or a government, in the case of both Bosnia and Rwanda target a particular race, gender, culture or language group etc. with the intent to cleanse the nation of them.

In the case of Rwanda this happened decades before the genocide, when the Belgians had separated the Tutsi and Hutu by providing them with identification cards and treating the Tutsis to be above the Hutus. The next stage is symbolization that works in conjunction with classification using names and/or images to separate the group from general society. Next is the dehumanization of the targeted group, this can happen through publically considering this group demeaning names, considering them a lower class. Prior to the genocide in Bosnia, Muslims were portrayed negatively in the media and the public reinforced this with negative comments about Muslim people. The fourth stage is the organization of armed groups preparing to execute planned killings. Prior to the genocide both Hutus extreme and a Tutsi rebel group started to prepare by acquiring weapons and training individuals. The fifth stage division between these groups by banning social interaction. The sixth stage is preparation where physically separation of these groups occur and coordination of plans to attack these groups. In the case of Rwanda Romeo Dallaire was told by an informant of a plan to kill

The biggest failure on the part of the United Nations was their inability to protect the citizens, in order to protect and serve the states interest. Due to a failed UN missions first in Somalia and then in Bosnia there became a growing hesitation by the UN to intervene in future intervention missions. By avoiding to take action members of the UN thought they would avoid another failed peacekeeping mission, but in reality not acting at all led to the UN’s biggest failure, Rwanda. Looking at situation in Rwanda the international community negligent both prior and during the genocide for a number of factors. First, the UN’s failure to act in Rwanda was due the lack of action on the part of members in the Security Council and the Secretariat. The failure of the Secretariat to communicate the conditions in Rwanda or provide any viable solutions to execute a successful intervention . As result of their failure to act effective execute their responsibilities it strengthened the case for the members in the Security Council who wanted to withdraw from Rwanda. From the beginning inaction of the United States led to Rwanda’s failed intervention, they could have been the desperate Tutsis’ lifeline. The United States played willfully blind through the Rwandan genocide, a great example of this is their constant redefining what is