The French Betrayal of Rwanda

After the Holocaust, the victorious Allies pledged "never again" and enshrined their promise in the UN Convention on Genocide. Daniela Kroslak explores what the responsibility to prevent genocide entails by asking the following questions about what happened in Rwanda in 1994: To what extent can external actors, such as the French government, be held responsible for not preventing or suppressing genocide? Why did outsiders remain passive while Hutu extremists perpetrated genocide against their compatriots? How can the French government's responsibility be evaluated? What was France's role in the chilling events that took place in Rwanda? Focusing on three key themes—French awareness of the impending disaster, French involvement before the genocide, and French diplomatic efforts and military capacity to change the tide—Kroslak concludes that "never again" must be upheld by action and accountability.