Canada's GG "apologizes to Rwanda for Canada's inaction during genocide"

[The Bread Guy]

This just in from the Canadian Press:

Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean has delivered an official apology on behalf of Canada for its failure to act during the Rwandan genocide.

Jean made the apology today after becoming the first top-level Canadian official to visit Rwanda since the 1994 atrocity. Jean delivered her solemn message on behalf of the Canadian government.

Jean says the international community, including Canada, failed to heed warnings about the horrors taking place in Rwanda.

She credited Canadian Gen. Romeo Dallaire, however, for trying to warn the world about what was happening ....

Nothing yet on the GG's site, or the Gov't of Canada's news site.

 

[chrisf]

A shame she won't publically condemn the UN for it's failure to act...

 

[The Bread Guy]

Ah, so it's not just me thinking it was a rules failure....

A shame she won't publically condemn the UN for it's failure to act...

I'm still waiting for the official text, but this is as close at it comes to that:

.... Jean says the international community, including Canada, failed to heed warnings about the horrors taking place in Rwanda ....

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

Nothing new.  Canada apologizes for something it had no control over.  Didn't we have all of 1 soldier there who was under UN orders?

Belgium had troops on the ground but refused to allow them do their job.  Most were withdrawn and 10 who faced the Hutus surrendered their weapons and were killed.  Not a proud period for the Belgian military. 

 

[Journeyman]

Didn't we have all of 1 soldier there who was under UN orders?

Well, that one.....plus a 350-strong Sigs unit, two CC-130 aircraft, 247 medical, engineer and support personnel,  3 Commando's 8 Platoon, plus a separate group of 85 Loggies and 8 MPs.

Is today "post crap out of one's butt" day?    :

 

[ekpiper]

I'd recommend to everyone that they watch "Shake Hands With the Devil".  It's a docudrama adapted from LGen. Dallaire's book.  Very powerful.  Canada, with it's troop levels in country as they were would have been foolish to try and stop the genocide by itself, as their bodies would have just added to the death count, although it may have opened the world's eyes.  I personally feel that the tragedy in Rwanda was further proof of how ineffective the current world organizations are. 

The movie made me feel the frustration of not being able to act as atrocities were being committed, and it made me think for a long time about what I would do in any of the situations that the men were put in there.

I do in fact believe that Canada should have defied the orders of the UN if it would have been possible to fight against a force of approximately 30,000.  We probably couldn't have supported that kind of operation though.

 

[armyvern]

Nothing new.  Canada apologizes for something it had no control over.  Didn't we have all of 1 soldier there who was under UN orders?

Belgium had troops on the ground but refused to allow them do their job.  Most were withdrawn and 10 who faced the Hutus surrendered their weapons and were killed.  Not a proud period for the Belgian military.

I've got to agree with Journeyman ... on this one - seems that you are not 'up' on that particular mission. Seems some people forget, while others do not.

Here's a name of one of those others for you:

RWANDA (UNAMIR 1994 - 1995)

Cpl Scott F. SMITH
Canadian Airborne Regiment
25 Dec 1994 

May he rest in peace.

 

[SeanNewman]

Vern,

I'm with you in that I find myself agreeing with Journey, too.

I think Mr Ruhl may have only been focusing on the overall perception from "Shake Hands With The Devil" that other than Gen Dalaire and Maj Beardsley, their troops were a mix of biased Belgians and cowardly Bangladeshis among others (as told in the book, I was not there so can't say for myself).

It would appear from the CBC website story comments that a vast majority of readers hold the belief that Canada shouldn't be apologizing for anything but the UN should (if you go by the agree/disagree numbers).  That being said, those same readers also agree we should only do UN peacekeeping missions.

 

[Fishbone Jones]

I'm not going to get overly upset or involved with this, BUT...

I'm tired of Canada standing on the world stage like a whipped schoolboy, hat in hand, and apologising for whatever the flavour of the day is (Rwanda, UN inaction, global warming, earthquakes in Antactia, not giving billions to Bono's favourite charity of the day, whatever)

We have nothing to apologise for and as much as I respect the GG, I'm offended she feels the need to tell the world I didn't do something they think I should've. Especially when it's the same self serving jackasses that created the situation in the first place.

 

[a_majoor]

I'm curious if Her Excellency was a strong supporter of the CF in 1994 (or before), and had been vigerously promoting the idea of a large, capable and well equipped force that would have the strategic mobility and combat power to deploy multiple battlegroups halfway around the world for that purpose?

For that matter, is Her excellency a strong advocate today, given the implication we should be deploying multiple battlegroups to places like Darfur or the Congo to ensure these sorts of things don't happen again?

Just asking....

 

[The Bread Guy]

Since the GG's office doesn't publish remarks made hasn't posted the full remarks yet to its web page, the closest we're going to get on this for the moment (barring triangulation of MSM reports) is an official twitter from the GG's account:

The world's failure to respond adequately to the Rwandan genocide is a failure in which Canada acknowledges its fair share of responsibility

And in French:

Le génocide rwandais résulte aussi de l'indifférence, de l'inaction internationale. Le Canada reconnait sa part de responsabilité.

We have nothing to apologise for and as much as I respect the GG, I'm offended she feels the need to tell the world I didn't do something they think I should've. Especially when it's the same self serving jackasses that created the situation in the first place.

.... is Her excellency a strong advocate today, given the implication we should be deploying multiple battlegroups to places like Darfur or the Congo to ensure these sorts of things don't happen again?

I agree that there's ZERO need for any "apology" from Canada for UN problems.  However, this from the Canadian Press story shows who seems comfortable with the material she delivered:

.... Officials with Rideau Hall described Jean's message as an apology and said it had been cleared with the Department of Foreign Affairs and with the Privy Council's Office in Ottawa before it was delivered ....

PCO approval = approval from "the hub of non-partisan, public service support to the Prime Minister and Cabinet and its decision-making structures"

Also, if what she said/did was off base in the eyes of whoever asked her to go, we would have heard from "The Asker" (or his team) pretty clearly by now, given the 24/7 news cycle.

- edited to add corrected green text, based on information from GG press office -

 

[The Bread Guy]

This from the GG's site (PDF attached in case link doesn't work):

In 2004, Canada's Parliament solemnly declared April 7 a day of Remembrance for the victims of the 1994 Rwandan genocide, encouraging all Canadians, as well as the government, to take appropriate steps on that day to commemorate the genocide and to reflect upon its lessons.

In 2008, Canada, with a government motion reiterated that this genocide was made possible by the indifference and inaction of the international community. The world’s failure to respond adequately to the genocide is a failure in which Canada, as part of the international community, readily acknowledges its fair share of responsibility.

And so it is with a sense of utmost humility that I express the respects of Canada to all Rwandans who perished, who suffered, and who continue to suffer immeasurable loss in the Rwandan genocide.

At the same time, we salute the bravery and self-sacrifice demonstrated in the actions of countless Rwandans and many individuals of other nationalities who did all within their personal power to defend the victims.

And so when we mourn the loss of so many Rwandans to the genocide, we also mourn those Canadians and citizens of other countries who perished standing by them.

- 30 -

Not to split hairs, but I don't see the word "apologize" or "sorry" here, although CP says "Officials with Rideau Hall described Jean's message as an apology".

 

[dapaterson]

One could inquire about the nationality of the General at the UN who did not act on Dallaire`s warnings...

 

[Fishbone Jones]

However, this from the Canadian Press story shows who seems comfortable with the material she deliveredCO approval = approval from "the hub of non-partisan, public service support to the Prime Minister and Cabinet and its decision-making structures"

Also, if what she said/did was off base in the eyes of whoever asked her to go, we would have heard from "The Asker" (or his team) pretty clearly by now, given the 24/7 news cycle.

Just because some faceless bureaucrat gave their blessing, or direction, doesn't make it right, or change my mind.

 

[The Bread Guy]

A few more details, from CTV.ca (highlights mine):

.... Her remarks were quickly downplayed in Ottawa, with a Prime Minister's Office spokesperson saying that Jean had only "acknowledged the role of the international community, including Canada, in failing to respond adequately to the genocide."

Retired Maj. Gen. Lewis MacKenzie that while the governor general's speech was "perfectly okay" in criticizing the failure of the international community, it was erroneous to suggest Canada could have done more to stop the genocide.

To MacKenzie, "it sounded like she was suggesting that Canada could have done more and reacted more quickly and that's just not the case," he told CTV's Canada AM on Thursday morning. "Canada has nothing to apologize (for) as an individual nation" ....

 

[SeanNewman]

"Shared under the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright Act"

Traumatized ex-general Dallaire welcomes GG's Rwanda genocide apology
Published Thursday April 22nd, 2010
John Ward, THE CANADIAN PRESS

OTTAWA - Senator Romeo Dallaire is welcoming Gov. Gen. Michaelle Jean's apology for the world's failure to respond to the Rwandan genocide - a tragedy the retired general tried and failed to prevent.

Dallaire said Jean's comments in Kigali on Wednesday were a great gesture. He said suggestions that her words were not a formal apology, but simply a restatement of Canada's recognition that the international community failed the Rwandan people, are a quibble over semantics.

The rest of article here:
http://www.canadaeast.com/front/article/1026174

 

[The Bread Guy]

Normally, if you're quoting the full text of a news story (including author name and source), it's good to include a reference to the Copyright Act:

"Shared under the Fair Dealing provisions (§29) of the Copyright Act"
or
"Shared in accordance with the "fair dealing" provisions, Section 29, of the Copyright Act"

Not complete protection, but covers one's butt re:  fair use of the material.

 

[CountDC]

Just because some faceless bureaucrat gave their blessing, or direction, doesn't make it right, or change my mind.

I'm with you - tired of Canada apologizing for everything.  The way they keep going we will be apologizing for the crucification of Christ.

 

[Sonnyjim]

I agree with a lot of the comments already posted on here about how stupid this apology is. I think it was already stated but when is she going to issue an apology for Canada not doing anything to prevent the current genocide that is going on in Darfur as I write this? I am no political guru but isn't the leader of that country currently charged with genocide by the World Courts or the UN?  What about the Congo? Should she issue an apology in advance for Canada not putting a stop to the genocide there? What I'm trying to say is the apology is worthless because all of these situations are out of our control. If you're going to apologize for Rwanda then issue an advance apology for Darfur and the Congo because these are out of our control as well.

 

[Dennis Ruhl]

Well, that one.....plus a 350-strong Sigs unit, two CC-130 aircraft, 247 medical, engineer and support personnel,  3 Commando's 8 Platoon, plus a separate group of 85 Loggies and 8 MPs.

Is today "post crap out of one's butt" day?    :

Other than the Herc crews the rest came 2 or 3 months after everyone was dead.  I think my point was that Canada had nothing to apologize for because Canada had no capability of doing anything.