Dangers of failure to punish perpetrators for crimes including of genocide

The total international community’s neglect of the 1972 and 1993 crimes of genocide of Hutu by Tutsi in Burundi is believed to have emboldened the Hutu extremists in Rwanda to commit crimes of genocide against Tutsi and moderate Hutu in Rwanda in 1994. The perpetrators of Rwanda genocide thought that the international community would not act as in Burundi. They were wrong. But action against Hutu perpetrators of genocide in Rwanda and omission to act against Tutsi perpetrators of genocide in Burundi in 1972 and 1993 were judged as double standards practiced by the international community including the United Nations. Hutu survivors were forced to take up arms for self-defense resulting in human loss, injuries and displacements and destruction of property, infrastructure and institutions.

In 1994 Gersony submitted a report showing that the Tutsi in the Rwanda Patriotic Front and Army (RPF/A) had committed serious crimes against Hutu that could be classified as crimes of genocide. The Secretary-General of the United Nations acting either alone or under pressure suppressed publication of the report. The massacre or what some have called ‘genocide’ of tens of thousands of Hutu internally displaced persons (IDPs) at Kibeho camp was also ignored by the international community. The failure to punish perpetrators emboldened the hardliners in Rwanda government to commit more crimes and to get rid of moderate voices.

Many commentators believe that if Tutsi perpetrators of crimes of genocide in Burundi in 1972 and 1993 had been punished, the lesson would have prevented Hutu in Rwanda from committing genocide against Tutsi and Hutu moderates in 1994.

Similarly many voices believe that if the Garsony and Kibeho reports had been acted on and Tutsi perpetrators of the crimes identified and punished it would have served as a deterrent against subsequent crimes committed by Tutsi against Hutu in DRC as contained in the UN report released on October 1, 2010.

Stories, if true, are very disturbing indeed that the United Nations Secretary-General and the President of Rwanda reached a deal to suppress follow-up of the report by a competent court or presentation to the United Nations Security Council which apparently is not keen on receiving and discussing it. People are also wondering that having troops in peace keeping operations constitutes a sufficient justification to shelve the report so that troops are not withdrawn.

Increasing voices are being heard that failure to punish perpetrators by the international community working in concert with the government of DRC (DRC cannot do it alone as some have suggested) will increase violence rather than protect the fragile peace that is being forged in the Great Lakes Region. To avoid another conclusion of double standards that will damage the credibility of the United Nations, it is hoped that the report will be submitted by the Secretary-General to the Security Council for debate and decision in a transparent and satisfactory manner.