The date April 11 is a constant reminder for Rwandans that no one will take care of them and that they must take their destiny in their own hands. On this date in 1994, a contingent of Belgian peacekeepers who were part of the United Nations Assistance Mission in Rwanda (UNAMIR), decided to walk away from over 10,000 Tutsis at their most vulnerable. These people had sought refuge at the then ETO-Kicukiro, a technical school located on the Kigali-Bugesera highway. They had fled surrounding suburbs from Interahamwe militia soon after the Genocide against the Tutsi broke out on April 7, 1994. ETO-Kicukiro hosted members of the Belgian contingent. However, instead of using their position as blue helmets, they decided to walk out on these poor people, well knowing that they would be killed because the killers were already lurking outside the premises, waiting for the evacuation of the peacekeepers. Other contingents deployed in other areas of the country followed suit, leaving the innocent lives to their vice. Disregarding the cries from vulnerable children and women, including pregnant mothers, they boarded their trucks and left with all their belongings, including pets, without any form of shame. True to their word, the killers immediately invaded the premises, and led the refugees in single file to Nyanza hill, where they were killed. On the way up, many were killed, especially the weak ones who could not make the unenviable journey. This day has come to signify the betrayal of Rwandans by the international community during their neediest time. After the UN forces failed to intervene, it took Rwandans themselves, through RPF-Inkotanyi, to stop the Genocide – unfortunately after over a million innocent lives had been lost. However, there is a silver lining to every situation. This betrayal has since concretized the resolve by Rwandans to take their destiny in their own hands, which has shaped the resilience that characterize the nation for the past 29 years. Another outcome from this sad chapter of our history is the determination to ensure Rwandans do not idly look on as other people – especially on the African continent – go through what they went through. This is what has happened in Sudan, South Sudan, Central African Republic, Mozambique and other countries where Rwanda has dispatched peacekeepers both through the UN or under bilateral arrangement to avert potential genocides, with outstanding results.
