The Major Powers on Trial

Faced with incontrovertible evidence of the most clear-cut caseof genocide possible, the international community failed todenounce the evil and to take action to stop the killings takingplace in Rwanda in 1994. Under the influence of three majorpowers—France, the United States and the United Kingdom—theUnited Nations was disabled from taking the necessary actionbecause the mass slaughter of the Tutsi people did not impingeon these powers' narrowly defined national interests. In thespecific case of France, there is evidence to show that thispower arguably aided and abetted the genocide. Yet, in contrast,these three powers were able to take decisive and quick actionwhen faced with an outraged domestic public in response to thehumanitarian crisis which unfolded from the genocide. Thereare many reasons why individuals and governments cannot bringthemselves to use the word ‘genocide’. In the caseof Rwanda, perhaps the enormity of the concept prevented thosewho were in the midst of it from recognizing it for what itactually was.