Rwanda: U.S., France blamed for genocide

By Our Special Correspondent

NEW DELHI, JULY 8. An international panel set up by the Organisation of African Unity (OAU) has blamed the United States, France and Belgium for failing to prevent the genocide in the strife-torn African state of Rwanda.

The panel which included the former Chief Justice of India, Mr. P.N. Bhagwati, has concluded that the genocide - in which 800,000 people belonging to the Tutsi tribe were killed - was avoidable. The mass killing, the committee concludes is ``one of the singularly notorious events of the last century.'' According to the panel, the Rwandan Government - led by the majority ethnic Hutus - deliberately incited the killings. The conspiracy, however, succeeded because the members of the U.N. Security Council, despite anticipating these events did not act.

The report accuses the United States of deliberately restricting the size of the U.N. military mission which otherwise could have helped prevent the massacre.``Even once the genocide began, a serious military mission could dramatically have reduced the magnitude of the slaughter. But the U.S. made sure that no such force would ever reach Rwanda, even after it was known beyond question that one of the 20th century's greatest tragedies was unfolding.'' In fact, the U.S. voted for further pruning down the size of the authorised U.N. military presence in Rwanda.

The panel did not spare France from blame. The French Government, the committee claimed had ``unrivaled influence'' on the Rwandan Government. But despite its reach, it did not insist that the attacks on the Tutsi must cease. In fact,the French troops allowed Rwanda's political and military leadership along with large section of its army to escape the border into Zaire. This in turn ``significantly contributed'' to the continuing conflict in Central Africa.

Others named by the panel who failed Rwanda in its time of greatest need include: the Government of Belgium, the Secretariat of the United Nations, and the Roman Catholic church. Of those named, the President of the United States, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, and the Prime Minister of Belgium have all apologised for their responsibility. Neither the French Government nor the Catholic church has ever apologised or accepted responsibility, it said.

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