Bob Menendez, the Democratic senator from New Jersey, today introduced a resolution marking the twenty-fifth anniversary of the genocide in Rwanda, which cost the lives of over one million people.
“This April we join with the people of Rwanda and the global community to solemnly commemorate the 25th Anniversary of this terrible moment in history,” said Senator Menendez in a press release available on his web site.
The draft resolution does not shy away from calling out the US government’s refusal to intervene in Rwanda as the genocide was unfolding.
“As we commend the people and government of Rwanda in continuing to take steps toward peace, reconciliation, and accountability, we also acknowledge the tragic failure of the international community, including the United States, in providing urgent assistance in helping to prevent and stop the organized campaign and the mass killing that ensued,” Menendez added.
First of its kind
It is not the first time the United States has recognized its failure to stop the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, but once passed, this resolution will be the first of its kind since the Clinton administration. Usually, the State Department issues a low-profile, often generic statement each year for the commemoration.
On March 25, 1998, President Bill Clinton expressed regret for failing to halt genocide in Rwanda, saying that he didn’t “fully appreciate the depth and the speed with which [Rwandans] were being engulfed by this unimaginable terror.” It turned out to be a blatant lie.
Now we know how much the Clinton administration knew. Classified papers show Clinton was aware of a “final solution” to eliminate all the Tutsi of Rwanda. The truth is that the United States simply chose to ignore Rwanda.
A Baby step in the right direction
Once adopted, the Menendez resolution will be a small step forward. But there is much more the US Senate and government can do to make up for failing to uphold international law by refusing to intervene in Rwanda.
Helping set up an international trust fund for survivors is one of the most meaningful ways the US could make amends with dignity.
On a practical level, the Senate should, among other things, require that the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi be taught in all secondary schools, and build a major genocide memorial in the US to teach young people about the world’s fastest genocide. Ends.
By Albert Gasake
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