Economic sanctions against Rwanda were never on the agenda. Although they would have taken too long to have any effect in the short term, the issue was never even raised. If the crime had been committed on nearly any other continent, there can be little doubt that move would have been initiated by at least some major Western countries to initiate sanctions. Why not in Rwanda? The triumph of humanitarianism is part of the answer; the agenda was being set by international relief organizations. The other element is the characterization of the crisis as uncontrollable tribal anarchy. - Alex de Waal and Rakiya Omaar, The Genocide in Rwanda and the International Response, from the April 1995 issue of Current History
Posted on: Wed, 07 May 2014 19:28:49 +0000