The Shallow Graves of Rwanda
- Book Review,
by Mary Robinson (Foreword), Shaharyan M. Khan
From Booklist
Khan, a special United Nations representative assigned to Rwanda, provides a provocative and insightful account of the aftermath of a devastating contemporary genocide. Within a three-month period, more than one million people died in a series of massacres following the April 1994 death of Rwanda's president, killed when his airplane was shot down by a missile. The resulting Tutsi-Hutu conflict was thought to be a mere civil conflict. That perception, if not world indifference, masked the systematic genocide that followed. Khan conveys the sheer horror of legions of dead bodies in the midst of the living dead. The conflict between Rwandans, both Tutsi and Hutu, returning to their homeland set off mass murders at the hands of neighbors. Khan is most enlightening at conveying the attempts at national reconciliation--the conflict between the well-equipped U.N. attempt at national reconciliation and the actual and perceived conflict with those attempting to reestablish appropriate government authority. This is a well-balanced account that integrates the conflicting forces of world perception versus the daily reality of horrors beyond comprehension on any day. Vernon Ford
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved
Review
“...a revealing, insightful treatise on how the United Nations and the international relief community work...” —San Antonio Register
“...impressive and unique documentary evidence, and shows how the lessons of Rwanda can provide valuable guidance for the future.” —Black Men
Review
“...a revealing, insightful treatise on how the United Nations and the international relief community work...” —San Antonio Register
“...impressive and unique documentary evidence, and shows how the lessons of Rwanda can provide valuable guidance for the future.” —Black Men
Book Description
This book is a unique account of the UN Secretary-General's Special Representative in Rwanda in the mid-1990s. Shaharyar M. Khan's tenure began in the immediate aftermath of the downing of President Habarimana's plane on April 6, 1994 and the massacres that followed. Khan details his encounters with soldiers and politicians, victims and survivors, perpetrators of the massacres, and humanitarian relief efforts. This book reveals how the UN works on the ground and at headquarters.
About the Author
Shaharyar M. Khan is a distinguished international diplomat and currently Pakistan's Ambassador to France.
Buy from Amazon
Compare Prices
|
|
Home
