I read all sorts of non-fiction books and I read a few fiction pieces here and there. I love all sorts of books, some get put on my shelf as references or reminders for years to come. Some books leave a mark, others leave a lot more than a mark — in fact some books shake up the beliefs that I hold as truths.
UNAMIR, the UN’s mission in Rwanda was intended to help implement the Arusha Peace Agreement of August 4, 1993. This agreement, principally between the RPF (people’s / rebel) and RGF (government) forces, enumerated a number of political interests in Rwanda and gave them all a voice in the formation of a transitional government. UNAMIR was tasked with the traditional role for DPKO operations — namely facilitation, moderation and observation of the implementation of the Arusha Agreement (a Chapter 6 mandate UNDPKO operation).
Lieutenant General Roméo Dallaire’s account of the UN Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR) is sobering, shocking, enlightening and will turn your views of the USA, UN, NGOs, the Security Council and its member nations on its ear. There are plenty of enlightened and humourous moments throughout the text and I can honestly say, as a Canadian of French origin, they capture the magical subtleties that accompany being a minority culture interposed as an only half welcome intermediary between similar yet distinct foes.
Having lived through these events as an observer in North America, I can calmly state that the details that emerge in Dallaire’s text are quite different from the impressions we were left with from the media treatment at the time of the events. I suspect that the media were still heady and impressed with themselves over the new ‘Headline News’ format networks and then-young CNN was still eager to solidify it’s place in the world, having come recently from the ’successes’ of the Gulf War (first one) coverage.
Reading this book won’t make you more fun at parties, but it will help you shape your world view and develop an appreciation for those who believe the the right thing, even when the administration and executive branches of their organisations fail them.
* Shake Hands with the Devil
* Lgen. Roméo Dallaire
* Random House Canada
* ISBN: 0679311726 (google)
* Indigo Booksellers
I have just about finished reading your book, Shake Hands with the Devil; it is one of the most horrific accounts of brutality that I have ever read about. I am just sorry that Canada would not do anything while all this was taking place in the mid 90’s.