On May 12, 1994, Rebel RPF Commander Paul Kagame, informed the world that he was opposed to the UN intervention in genocide because it was too late. These are Kagame’s own words:
“We are only opposed to what they call the UN Intervention Force because we felt it was irrelevant in the circumstances. We did not understand what that intervention would serve as a purpose, when genocide has been carried in this country almost with impunity, and when its near completion, then people talk about intervention.”
Genocide began on April 7, 1994. On May 12, 1994, when Kagame was rejecting the UN intervention force, genocide was only one month and five days old. But to Paul Kagame, it was too late for the outside world to intervene.
In his own words, genocide was “near completion.” But of course, as we now know, genocide took more lives in May, June, and July 1994.Kagame was not interested in saving lives. He was interested in capturing power. History will be very unkind to Paul Kagame.
