Rwanda 10 Years On
The Rwandan genocide of 1994 was a horrific and shocking event, the effects of which are still being felt in Rwanda and around the world. In the face of the most rapid and systematic genocide since the Holocaust, national governments and international institutions refused to intervene, backing away from a crisis that was politically complex but morally simple. Faced with this humanitarian disaster, the international community was forced to reconsider its ideas and practices in the realm of international justice and in the protection of civilians in times of conflict. For Rwandans, the consequences are felt on a personal level. It’s a daily struggle to heal traumatised bodies and minds, to seek justice, and to rebuild a sense of trust that was so brutally smashed. These consequences are felt across the region, in other wars, and by millions of people in flight, both refugees and killers. For these civilians, the challenge is just to get through the day. Cinnamon Nippard spoke to Lily Nyamwasa from the Rwandan and Burundian community in NSW, who described what happened to her in Rwanda 10 years ago.