On President Bill Clinton's watch, in 1993 - 1994, a most senseless war erupted in Rwanda between its two prominent ethnic groups - the Tutsi and the Hutu. "On April 6, 1994, Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana's personal plane, a gift from French President Francois Mitterand, was shot down as it returned to Rwanda, killing Habyarimana, Burundian President Cyprien Ntarymira, and members of their entourages. The two Presidents were returning from Tanzania, where they'd met with regional leaders concerning events in Burundi. Habyarimana himself was pressed to implement the power-sharing Arusha Accord his government had concluded with the rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) in August 1993, which capped three years of war, cease-fires and negotiations. To do so, however, would mean the effective end of his 20-year, one-party rule over Rwandan politics and society. Extremists in the military and government bitterly opposed the accord; they are the likely culprits in his assassination.

"Within an hour of the plane crash, the Presidential Guard, elements of the Rwandan armed forces (FAR) and extremist militia (Interahamwe and Impuzamugambi) set up roadblocks and barricades and began the organized slaughter, starting in the capital Kigali, of nearly one million Rwandans in 100 days time. Their first targets were those most likely to resist the plan of genocide: the opposition Prime Minister, the president of the constitutional court, priests, leaders of the Liberal Party and Social Democratic Party, the Information Minister, and tellingly, the negotiator of the Arusha Accord. Those who hesitated to join the campaign, such as the governor of a southern province, were quickly removed from positions of influence or killed. As a US intelligence analyst noted in late April, 1994.

'The plan appears to have been to wipe out any RPF ally or potential ally, and thus raise the costs and limit the possibility of an RPF/Tutsi takeover… No end to the unprecedented bloodshed is yet in sight." (US Department of State, Bureau of Intelligence and Research, Intelligence Assessment, "Roots of the Violence in Rwanda", April 29, 1994)

"As the killing intensified, the international community deserted Rwanda. Western nations landed troops in Rwanda or Burundi in the first week to evacuate their citizens, did so, and left. The UN mission (UNAMIR), created in October 1993 to keep the peace and assist the governmental transition in Rwanda, sought to intervene between the killers and civilians. It also tried to mediate between the RPF and the Rwandan army after the RPF struck from Rwanda to protect Tutsi and rescue their battalion encamped in Kigali as part of the Accord. On April 21, 1994, the United Nations Security Council, at the behest of the United States — which had no troops in Rwanda — Belgium, and others, voted to withdraw all but a remnant of UNAMIR. The Security Council took this vote and others concerning Rwanda even as the representative of the genocidal regime sat amongst them as a non-permanent member.

"After human rights, media, and diplomatic reports of the carnage mounted, the UN met and debated and finally arrived at a compromise response on May 16. UNAMIR II, as it was to be known, would be a more robust force of 5,500 troops. Again, however, the world failed to deliver, as the full complement of troops and materiel would not arrive in Rwanda until months after the genocide ended. Faced with the UN's delay, but also concerned about its image as a former patron and arms supplier of the Habyarimana regime, France announced on June 15 that it would intervene to stop the killing. In a June 22 vote, the UN Security Council gave its blessing to this intervention; that same day, French troops entered Rwanda from Zaire. "While intending a wider intervention, confronted with the RPF's rapid advance across Rwanda, the French set up a 'humanitarian zone" in the southwest corner of Rwanda. Their intervention succeeded in saving tens of thousands of Tutsi lives; it also facilitated the safe exit of many of the genocide's plotters, who were allies of the French.

"On July 4, the RPF took the capital, Kigali; two weeks later, it announced a new government comprised of RPF leaders and ministers previously selected for the transition government called for in the Arusha Accord. With the RPF's takeover, and with the encouragement of extremist radio, Rwandans implicated in the slaughter, their relatives and those who feared the arrival of the RPF, fled to neighboring countries. In the end, the extremists killed nearly one million Rwandans, approximately one-tenth of the population. Were it not for the RPF's military prowess, the genocide would have continued.

"Despite overwhelming evidence of genocide and knowledge as to its perpetrators, United States officials decided against taking a leading role in confronting the slaughter in Rwanda. Rather, US officials confined themselves to public statements, diplomatic despatches, initiatives for a ceasefire, and attempts to contact both the interim government perpetrating the killing and the RPF. The US did use its influence, however, at the United Nations, but did so to discourage a robust UN response (Document 4 and Document 13). In late July, however, with the evidence of genocide littering the ground in Rwanda, the US did launch substantial operations—again, in a supporting role—to assist humanitarian relief efforts for those displaced by the genocide".

Document 4

US Department of State, cable number 099440, to US Mission to the United Nations, New York, 'Talking Points for UNAMIR Withdrawal", April 15, 1994. Confidential.

Source: Freedom of Information Act release by Department of State.

"This telegram forwards Department of State guidance to the US Mission to the UN in New York instructing US diplomats there that 'the international community must give highest priority to full, orderly withdrawal of all UNAMIR personnel as soon as possible." Advising that this withdrawal does not require a UN Security Council resolution—which would have likely focused international criticism—the Department instructs the mission 'that we will oppose any effort at this time to preserve a UNAMIR presence in Rwanda." April 15 was the first of two days of UN Security Council debate on next steps in Rwanda—for which the Rwandan ambassador was present and about which he reported back to the interim government in Rwanda. Over that same weekend, aware the UN Security Council was in retreat, the interim Council of Ministers, the genocide's architects, met in Kigali and decided to take the program of extermination to the rest of the country".

The US President Clinton, who had no troops in Rwanda, insisted that the troops of the other foreign Peace-keeping Forces in Rwanda, the UNAMIR, should be withdrawn leaving the Tutsi minority open to unabated massacre by the Hutu majority. After a few months, the peace-keepers came back, evicently, to see to the orderly withdrawal of the remaining UN Forces, when the purpose of the massacre and genocide of the Tutsi had been accomplished".

Is it not the same genocidal war of extinction that has been going on in Nigeria against Ndi Igbo and Biafra, since 1966 to the present, with the support of these same Governments that supported the genocide in the Tutsi in Rwanda?

Document 13

US Department of State, cable number 127262, to US Mission to the United Nations, New York, 'Rwanda: Security Council Discussions", May 13, 1994. Confidential.

Source: Freedom of Information Act release by the Department of State

Under Secretary of State for Political Affairs Peter Tarnoff and senior officials, including the Director of the Joint Staff, drafted and approved this cable delivering instructions to the US Mission in New York for Security Council debate over replenishing UNAMIR. With much of the killing completed and most of the remaining armed forces fleeing the RPF's countrywide advance, US officials argue against a UN plan for a robust effort launched into Kigali to protect surviving Rwandans, rescue others, and deliver assistance. Such a plan, 'in current circumstances, would require a Chapter VII mandate", and the US 'is not prepared at this point to lift heavy equipment and troops into Kigali". It is however, willing to consider its own plan, 'outside-in", by which protective zones would be established on Rwanda's borders. Even this plan, however, is likely to be 'an active protection operation requiring the use of lethal force." As for the several thousand Rwandans in Kigali under deteriorating UN protection, 'we recommend that these ad hoc protective efforts should continue until a suitable alternative arrangement can be ensured." Even when a plan for 5,500 troops with a protection mandate is finally approved on May 17, the troops would not all be in place until September, two months after the RPF captures the country and one month after Gen. Dallaire completed his service in Rwanda".

AFTER THE TUTSI GENOCIDE 1993-94 AND THE MOVIE "HOTEL RWANDA"

After viewing the Movie "Hotel Rwanda", I wrote to President Bill Clinton as follows:

Date: Fri, 18 Nov 2005 10:36:32 -0800 (PST)
From: "Oyibo Odinamadu"
Subject: My misgivings about your good intentions for Africa after watching the Movie - "Hotel Rwanda".
To: bclinton@clintonfoundation.org

Dear President Clinton, I received your Newsletter - Experience my trip to Africa - and I sent you a reply, acclaiming you a 'citizen of the world'. At one time when you were in Nigeria, the Nigerian Mass Media extolled you as "the First Black American President". All that was before the Movie, "Hotel Rwanda".

"Since watching the Movie, annotated variously as: "When a country descended into madness; And the world closed its eyes; He (Paul Rusesabagina, the 5-Star Hotel Mille Collines Manager) opened his arms; He created a place where hope could thrive; He saved over 1000 lives of refugee-guests in the hotel", I have been disillusioned about you and wondered about the genuineness of the current good deeds you are extending to Africa. This is because you made yourself and your Administration part of the "world that closed its eyes to Rwanda".

"This disillusionment stems from the fact that it was on your watch and insistence, as the President and Chief Executive of the Government of the United States of America, that the nations that contributed troops to the United Nations Peace-keeping Force withdrew them from Rwanda. That was at the height of the genocidal massacre of the Tutsi minority by the Hutu majority, whom the Hutu called the "Cockroaches".

"A few months later, the U.N. Troops went back but only to assign the leaders of the Tutsi to different countries for asylum. The Hutu Manager of the Hotel Mille Collines, who saved more than 1200 Tutsi lives in the Hotel, by shielding them and managed to find food and whatnot to keep them was assigned to Brussels, Belgium where he now lives with his family. "During the period of the UN withdrawal, the Hutu Army commanders bragged about the departure of the UN Peace-Keepers. The genocide escalated, to the extent that thousands of the bodies of slain Tutsi were discovered by Paul, laid up like bricks, for miles, on a road. That was the road the unsuspecting Hotel Manager was told by the General-Commander of the Hutu to take as being safe and secure, in a chauffeured vehicle he provided for him. It was a road on which he could not detour; and if he did, would be killed. To his chagrin, he had to be driven on the bodies and he forced the chauffwur to turn back on those bodies, damning the consequences.

"After assigning the Hutu leaders away, the solution the world, including you and your administration, could find was to allow the Tutsi minority to leave their country, enmasse, to South Africa, and Burundi, Tanzania, and whereeverelse they could. "After watching the Movie, I have had serious misgivings about the sincerity of your intentions towards Africa and Africans. And I have wondered whether your activities to save lives now in Africa is an act of remorse; apology; damage-control; restitution or of medicine-after-death?"

In conclusion, I have a few questions for you:

i) Do you think that you can ever make up for the part you played in withdrawing the Peace-keepers from Rwanda and facilitating the massacre of the Tutsi by the Hutu?

ii) Do you think that you can ever live down the guilt of your contribution to the Tutsi being pushed out of their own country, all of which happened during your watch?

iii)Can you ever forget that it all happened when you, as the leader of the Free-World, while the rest of the Free-World, looked the other way, withdrew your support for the weak and down-trodden, at the time they needed it most?

iv)Do you think that the country, and the lives of the Tutsi of Rwanda can ever be reconstructed?

v) How come you now find it necessary and easy to raise billions of dollars for relief-aid and reconstruction for the victims of disasters all over the world, and trudge around, even in your ill-health, now that you are being sent as an errand-boy by your successor-in-office, but not when you were substantively in that office with full powers and sway?

vi) Do you think you can get your colleagues in power in the USA and elsewhere to react to disastrous situations and sufferings of the third world and of the defenseless poor and lowly of the world, including the USA, compassionately, preventively, and promptly, before it is too late?.

vii) Do you think you can get your your colleagues in power to realize that Africa is the 'Continent of the Future', and to stop the lip-service, cosmetic programmes of assistance and development they now extend to her, and to be more serious and dedicated in a more meanibgful way?

Nothing has been said about Somalia and the massacre and genocide there of the same period; and about Daffur in the Republic of Niger of the present day. I still like you, but the images of the Movie - "Hotel Rwanda" - leaves a very bad taste in the mouth about the genuineness of your compassion now towards Africa. Believe me, it greatly distracts from the aura you normally exuded in those activities.

While I wish you well in your efforts around the world "to create hope and bring succour", I cannot stop looking at it as an after-thought and a damage-control to cover up the untold damage that had been done by your unconcern in the past! I DID NOT RECEIVE A REPLY.

Yours in a quandary,
Oyibo E. Odinamadu {Mrs.}"

"Dear President Clinton,

Greetings! I am disappointed that I did not receive a reply from you concerning my letter to you after viewibg the Movie: "Hotel Rwanda". Now, having read about all the efforts you are making to provide less costly drugs for the victims of AIDS/HIV in Africa and elsewhere in the world, I am just wondering what has brought about your change of mind about genocide on Africans, after the very prominent role you played in fostering the genocide on the Tutsi using the Hutu in Rwanda, by your role in having the UN Peace-keepers withdrawn, and the inaction of your US Government, to help, on your watch?

Do you not think that the whole process of the diagnostics, drugs and administration of the CURE FOR AIDS on the unfortunate victims should be ENTIRELY FREE to them by the US Government, helped by you, because the contagious cancer was deliberately manufactured and patented for Africans and people of African descent, and was spread and administered to them deliberately, callously, maliciously and sadistically, without any kind of Christian compassion, so as to clear their population, completely, out of the continent of Africa, within 66 years, for your kind, the Caucasians, to occupy? What is your explanation for this genocide on the Africans? You are looking for and obtaining cheaper alternative drugs for the victims, which will take about six doses, while you and President G.W. Bush are sitting on the patented AIDS CURE - TETRASIL/IMMUSIL PATENT 5676977 - ONE DOSE CURE. Why the holding back of the patented Cure? Is it the cost? Is that drug costlier than the lives that the contagious cancer is taking in Africa and around the world? Nothing else will do but the provision and administration of the PATENT 5676977 IMMEDIATELY NOW FOR EVERY AIDS/HIV VICTIM SO AS TO DEACTIVATE IT, COMPLETELY, WITHOUT A TRACE, LONG BEFORE THE 66 YEARS.

Thank you for being the Agent!

Oyibo E. Odinamadu (Mrs.)"

References:
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1) Haunted by a History of Genocide, Rwanda and Burundi have danced a Tortured Tango of Terror since Emerging from Colonial Rule over three Decades Ago by J. R. Bullington, in the the Virginian-Pilot

2) The US and the Genocide in Rwanda 1994: Evidence of Inaction, by William Ferroggiaro, Editor