Word: rwanda
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...place called Nuremberg. There, the International Military Tribunal assigned guilt for the war and the genocide the Nazis launched. The tribunal system has recently been revived to address the crimes committed in the Yugoslav war, and the United Nations Security Council is considering expanding its jurisdiction to cover Rwanda. It must be done. Through its agony, Rwanda has presented the international community with an unmistakable chance to begin the enforcement of international law and humanity...
...effects of a successful tribunal will be far-reaching. For Rwanda, they will offer a chance to break the cycle of hatred and killings that have characterized the nation since its independence. If thorough, the trials can purge the feelings of vengeance that are, even now, breeding the next round of death. Six thousand Rwandans are already in custody, accused of having been active participants in the killing...
...world at large, trials will send a message: genocide will not be allowed. It would be naive, of course, to assume that punishment for murderers in Rwanda would deter all others. Nuremberg, after all, did little to end atrocities in the post-war era. But justice in Rwanda would be a step toward making international law binding. The other ongoing tribunal, in Bosnia, is hampered by the inability to apprehend suspects and the opposition of UN negotiators, who want to avoid angering the Bosnian Serbs. Rwanda is the best chance...
What makes immediate action by the Security Council even more imperative is the prospect of what will happen if it doesn't act: Rwanda will begin trials of its own. In ordinary circumstances, this would be an appropriate, maybe even the best way. Rwanda is, after all, a sovereign country; the crimes that have been committed took place within its borders. International tribunals are best suited for disputes between countries, where an impartial body is necessary...
What makes Rwanda so much more volatile is the sharp tribal division that has been at the root of its suffering. The current government has members from both tribes, but it was put in place by the victory of the Rwandad Patriotic Front, a primarily Tutsi group. Trials under its auspices will likely be seen as mere vengeance by the country's Hutus, and more bloodshed is a distinct possibility...