Maj Gen (Rtd) Clayton Boanubah Yaache from Ghana is among seven former United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) members who have returned to the country, 30 years later, for a commemorative tour. He is one of the peacekeepers who defied orders to withdraw during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. ALSO READ: ‘Witnessing Genocide was no privilege,’ say former UN peacekeepers in Rwanda Their visit began on August 15 and will conclude on August 20. During this time, they are touring sites linked to the country’s tragic past and sharing their personal experiences of the Genocide, offering lessons that can be drawn from their stories. Sharing his story, Maj. Gen. Yaache said he came to Rwanda in February 1994 and unfortunately the genocide broke out in April. He recalled that Ghana, along with a few other African contingents such as Senegal, Mali, and Congo, chose to remain in Rwanda after the murder of 10 Belgian peacekeepers, even as many countries withdrew. “We did not stay because we had superior weapons or a clear mandate. In truth, we had neither. We stayed because there was something deep within us, something beyond protocol or orders, he said. “We were witnesses to machetes that silenced innocent lives. We saw churches, once sacred, turned into killing chambers. The smell of death haunted us. The screams, many of them children, still echo in our memory,” he added. ALSO READ: PHOTOS: 1994 UN peacekeepers return to Rwanda on commemorative tour Yet, amid the horror, he said, there were “extraordinary acts of bravery from ordinary people.” He criticised the international community for hesitating while genocide unfolded, but emphasised that Ghana’s decision to remain was “guided by our conscience” and inspired by “the unwavering spirit of the Rwandan people who refused to be defined by death.” One of his most vivid memories was rescuing more than 160 people trapped at Hotel des Mille Collines. The evacuation faced serious challenges, including threats from militia. “They did everything to prevent the movement... threatening to throw grenades... But I must commend the military observers. There were two Senegalese. They helped me to solve this problem... Finally, reason prevailed.” After prolonged negotiations, the group was returned safely to the hotel, with only one casualty. “So from 8:30 in the morning, I got to the hotel about 10pm... We didn’t give up. We had to renegotiate with the parties... and in the end, we were successful in the transfer of these people.” ALSO READ: April 11, 1994: When Belgian forces withdrew from ETO Kicukiro and killers pounced Maj Gen Yaache concluded with a message to Rwandans and the world. “To the survivors, your courage in choosing to live, to forgive, and to rebuild, that is what is a real act of heroism.... That is why we are here. To say with firm resolve and without hesitation that we saw what happened. We must name it for what it was. A genocide, a betrayal not just by individuals, but by systems, by silence, by those who looked away.” “We stand with you in memory. We stand with you in truth, and we stand with you in the hope that this continent can and must always choose humanity over hate... Let us remember those we lost, not by statistics, but as lives that matter,” he added.
