Rwanda Genocide: Kofi Annan not to blame – Kwesi Aning

Director of the Faculty of Academic and Research at the Kofi Annan International Peacekeeping Training Centre, Dr Emmanuel Kwesi Aning, has blamed the United Nations (UN) Security Council for the Rwanda genocide.

According to him, even though Kofi Annan was UN Secretary-General at the time of the genocide, the decision to send troops to Rwanda was for the Security Council to make.

The Rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the Tutsi, was a genocidal mass slaughter of Tutsi in Rwanda by members of the Hutu majority government. An estimated 500,000 to 1,000,000 Rwandans were killed during the 100-day period from 7 April to mid-July 1994,[1] constituting as many as 70% of the Tutsi population. Additionally, 30% of the Pygmy Batwa were killed. The genocide and widespread slaughter of Rwandans ended when the Tutsi-backed and heavily armed Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) led by Paul Kagame took control of the country. An estimated 2,000,000 Rwandans, mostly Hutus, were displaced and became refugees.

Some critics have accused Mr Annan of failing to act to prevent the slaughter but Mr Aning, who was speaking on Class91.3 FM’s Executive Breakfast Show, told sit-in host Benjamin Akakpo, on Monday 20 August 2018, that: Mr Annan’s primary role was peacekeeping.

“The real decisions are taken by the Security Council. The genocide and the failure of the international community to act was not Mr Annan’s doing, it was the fault of the Security Council and the politics of the Security Council at that time,” he emphasised.

He said: “Mr Annan expressed discomfort about what had happened but he never accepted responsibility because the responsibility was not his to accept”.

Meanwhile, Dr Aning has asked the state to ensure that the legacies of the late former UN Secretary-General are protected.

“His legacies are important for us as Ghanaians. How do we protect his legacies so that our children unborn will learn from it?”

“We in Ghana are not good at protecting legacies; the Nkrumah museum is not nice, ‘Asomdwe’ Park is an eyesore. Let’s encourage students to read and learn about Kofi Annan; the values he brought on board,” he admonished.

The Ghanaian diplomat died in Berne, Switzerland on Saturday 18 August 2018, at the age of 80.