I watched the dramatized movie titled: "Shake Hands with the Devil" and I loved it. And as IMDb is wont to do, they recommended similar movies and this documentary came up having the self-same title. I thought, "Of course, I want to see the real Romeo Dallaire." I was not disappointed. In fact, this documentary makes me have even more respect for the former U. N. General in Rwanda.
If you're late to the global conflict party, then you need to know that in 1994 there was a genocide that occurred in Rwanda on the part of the majority Hutus against the minority Tutsis. To the untrained eye, such as my own, it seemed like indiscriminate killing because I couldn't tell the difference between either tribe. And before you say that I suffer from cross-racial confusion, I am African American, so I'm not saying, "They all look alike." No, in this case they are very much alike, and before the Belgians issued identification cards in 1916, they were all one people. So, in essence, what played out in 1994 was a result of the segregation and favoritism implemented by Belgians in 1916. Am I saying the Belgians picked up guns and machetes and start slaughtering people? Absolutely not. Those who instigated genocide and participated in the genocide are 100% guilty for their own crimes. I'm just saying the Belgians can't claim total innocence.
Canadian soldier Romeo Dallaire was put in charge of a peace-keeping mission in Rwanda by the U. N. He was made a general and had control of all U. N. troops under UNAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission In Rwanda). The entire situation was a mess and the U. N. didn't do much to help, but Dallaire wouldn't abandon Rwanda or the prone Tutsis. His conscience wouldn't allow him to flee when so many more helpless men, women, and children were being slaughtered.
"Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire" is a walk-through time as Dallaire revisits the scene of so many atrocities ten years later. He and his wife visit the various spots in Rwanda where he'd witnessed and prevented senseless bloodshed. Dallaire is very matter-of-fact about everything that occurred and his opinion hasn't changed one iota in ten years. Honestly, I'm glad someone like Dallaire was there and remained there when the U. N. and everyone else pulled out, because there needed to be at least one person to tell the story to the rest of the world.
If you're late to the global conflict party, then you need to know that in 1994 there was a genocide that occurred in Rwanda on the part of the majority Hutus against the minority Tutsis. To the untrained eye, such as my own, it seemed like indiscriminate killing because I couldn't tell the difference between either tribe. And before you say that I suffer from cross-racial confusion, I am African American, so I'm not saying, "They all look alike." No, in this case they are very much alike, and before the Belgians issued identification cards in 1916, they were all one people. So, in essence, what played out in 1994 was a result of the segregation and favoritism implemented by Belgians in 1916. Am I saying the Belgians picked up guns and machetes and start slaughtering people? Absolutely not. Those who instigated genocide and participated in the genocide are 100% guilty for their own crimes. I'm just saying the Belgians can't claim total innocence.
Canadian soldier Romeo Dallaire was put in charge of a peace-keeping mission in Rwanda by the U. N. He was made a general and had control of all U. N. troops under UNAMIR (United Nations Assistance Mission In Rwanda). The entire situation was a mess and the U. N. didn't do much to help, but Dallaire wouldn't abandon Rwanda or the prone Tutsis. His conscience wouldn't allow him to flee when so many more helpless men, women, and children were being slaughtered.
"Shake Hands with the Devil: The Journey of Romeo Dallaire" is a walk-through time as Dallaire revisits the scene of so many atrocities ten years later. He and his wife visit the various spots in Rwanda where he'd witnessed and prevented senseless bloodshed. Dallaire is very matter-of-fact about everything that occurred and his opinion hasn't changed one iota in ten years. Honestly, I'm glad someone like Dallaire was there and remained there when the U. N. and everyone else pulled out, because there needed to be at least one person to tell the story to the rest of the world.