Nuclear Beef

This Frontline / American Radio Works radio story on Rwanda contains some new-to-me accusations about UN sanctioned malfeasance (and attendant coverup) in Rwanda.

800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus perished in Rwanda's genocide. It's been more than 10 years since the slaughter and there's much unfinished business. One case involves Callixte Mbarushimana. The charges against him are shocking, even in the context of the horrors that engulfed Rwanda. Mbarushimana worked for the United Nations there. He's accused of lending UN resources to the mass killing and even murdering co-workers.
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One final note on this story. Callixte Mbarushimana is suing the United Nations for back pay, reinstatement and damages. A UN advisory board has recommended that Mbarushimana receive back pay. But the matter is currently pending before the UN Administrative Tribunal.
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In 2001, Callixte Mbarushimana was discovered still working for the UN... in Kosovo. Prompted by newspaper reports, the UN detained Mbarushimana and a complex legal battle followed. In the end, a Kosovo court rejected an extradition request from the Rwandan government. Mbarushimana was released and eventually moved to France. The story seemed to end there. But hidden from the public, the UN war crimes tribunal for Rwanda launched a secret investigation of Mbarushimana in May 2001.
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This past spring the Rwandan government added Callixte Mbarushimana to its list of top genocide suspects living outside the country. Rwandan officials say they are discussing the case with authorities in France and will likely press for his extradition. But relations between Rwanda and France are poor. Meanwhile, a ruling from the United Nations Administrative Tribunal is expected in the coming weeks.

UPDATE: While you're at it, read this excellent Frontline interview with Canadian General Romeo Dallaire, head of the UN Military force in Rwanda.

Posted by darwin at 06:15 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

On January 27, French President Jacques Chirac held a joint conference with Chinese President Hu Jintao to celebrate the "Year of China" in Paris. Chirac used the occasion to publicly call for the lifting of the European Union arms embargo on China. France and Germany have succeeded in pushing the E.U. to review the embargo and have urged the E.U. to take action before the March entrance of ten new members. On February 4, Javier Solana, the E.U. foreign policy chief, was quoted in the Geneva newspaper Le Temps as saying, "It seems to me, after discussions we had a few days ago ? [that] the E.U. is ready to do it."

While the United States is opposed to lifting the bans, it is a 1998 E.U. law that may ultimately render any change to the embargo insignificant; the E.U. arms business remains tightly controlled by a 1998 code of conduct barring the sale of equipment that could be used in regional conflicts or domestic repression, which would still be enforceable on sales to China.

After the military repression of pro-democracy demonstrations in Tiananmen Square in 1989, the U.S. and the member states of the E.U. placed embargos on sales of arms to China. U.S. State Department spokesman Richard Boucher said, "We believe that the U.S. and European prohibitions on arms sales are complementary, were imposed for the same reasons, specifically serious human-rights abuses, and that those reasons remain valid today." Despite Boucher's statement, the French have begun to see the issue differently. Dominique de Villepin< the French foreign minister, recently argued, "Our feeling is that the embargo is out of date as relations between Europe and China improve. ? [Beijing is] a privileged partner and a responsible one."

Europe is a beacon of human rights and righteousness. America is a cesspool of immoral husbandry to tyranny. Something something.

Posted by darwin at 12:33 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)