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The Violence of the New Rwandan Regime 1994-1995

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All Speaking Out Case Studies > The violence of the new Rwandan regime 1994-1995

The ‘Violence of the New Rwandan Regime’ case study describes the difficulties and dilemmas faced by Médecins Sans Frontières teams in 1994 and 1995 when confronted with the abuses and crimes of the new regime who had put an end to the Genocide of Tutsis and taken over Rwanda in July 1994. 

Questions and dilemmas:

  • Was it acceptable for MSF, having denounced the génocidaires’ control over the Rwandan refugees in Zaire and Tanzania, to encourage the return of these refugees to Rwanda, given the insecurity that potentially awaited them?
  • Did MSF have a responsibility to alert those refugees of the danger awaiting them in Rwanda?
  • Could MSF – after having issued a call for an international armed intervention to put an end to the genocide – now criticise the regime that had done so, thereby risking accusations of favouring the génocidaires and to side with the revisionists?
  • Should MSF keep silent in order to continue caring for detainees who might otherwise die in the appalling prison conditions?

Download the case study

Additional materials

MAP MSF Programmes in Rwanda 1994-1995
MSF Programmes in Rwanda 1994-1995
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