Read Shake Hands With the Devil Online
Authors: Romeo Dallaire
King Faisal hospital
Brand new but unused hospital, used as a field hospital by
UNAMIR
, and to treat the local population. Taken over by
MSF
Kinihira
Abandoned tea plantation in the heart of the
DMZ
; several articles of the Arusha Peace Agreement were signed here, often used as a neutral meeting place
Kinyarwanda
The official native language of Rwanda, spoken by Hutus, Tutsis and Twas
Captain Apedo Kodjo
Togolese
MILOB
who witnessed the initial attack on the ten Belgian and five Ghanaian
UNAMIR
soldiers on 7 April 94
Bernard Kouchner
Former French politician and founder of Médecins Sans Frontières, he made two trips to Rwanda during the genocide
KWSA
Kigali Weapons Secure Area
Brigadier General Jean-Claude Lafourcade
Commander of the French Opération Turquoise
Captain Sarto LeBlanc
Canadian reinforcement officer
Major Phil Lancaster
Canadian
MILOB
, replaced Major Brent Beardsley in May 94
Lieutenant Colonel André Leroy
Commanding Officer of the first Belgian Para-commando Battalion (
KIBAT
), Oct 93âMar 94
Light battalion
A dismounted infantry unit of varying size
Light infantry
Dismounted infantry
Lieutenant Thierry Lotin
Belgian Para-commando platoon commander of mortar section guarding Prime Minister Agathe, killed 7 Apr 94
Amadou Ly
UNDP
Resident Representative, Senior
UN
authority in Rwanda prior to
UNAMIR
, Senegalese
Major Don MacNeil
Canadian reinforcement Officer, employed in the Humanitarian Assistance Cell during the genocide and responsible for saving thousands of lives, known by call sign MamaPapa 1
Major Peter Maggen
Belgian Senior Duty Officer
UNAMIR
Force
HQ
Operations Centre who supervised and trained the Bangladeshi Duty Officers
Bernard Mamiragaba
National Committee of the Interahamwe leader
Colonel Luc Marchal
Belgian, Kigali Sector Commander and also the Belgian Contingent Commander in
UNAMIR
Ambassador Jean-Philippe Marlaud
French Ambassador to Rwanda
Major Miguel Martin
DPKO UNAMIR
desk officer in New York, Argentinian Army Officer on loan to
UN
, was also concurrently desk officer for several other missions, promoted lieutenant-colonel Jan 94
Ben Matiwaza
UNOMUR
second-in-command, the Deputy Chief Military
Observer, in effect the commander of the Sector since Dallaire was in Kigali. Sep 93-Feb 94, based in Kabale, a Zimbabwean Zulu
Patrick Mazimhaka
1
st
Vice-Chairman of the
RPF
, Minister Designate of Youth and Sports of the
BBTG
, after
RPF
victory became a minister in the new government, was often the chief negotiator for the
RPF
, name often spelled Mazimpaka
Captain Diagne Mbaye
Senegalese
MILOB
who saved the lives of Prime Minister Agathe's children and was later killed by mortar fire in Kigali
Major John McComber
Canadian reinforcement officer who worked with
FC
as chief logistician
MDR
Mouvement démocratique républicain (Democratic Republican Movement) now known as Rwanda Democratic Movement, the main opposition party to the Habyarimana regime (
MRND
), party split contributed to political impasse, many members of the
MDR
joined the genocide, while others were victims
Médecins Sans Frontières (Doctors Without Borders)
Independent humanitarian medical aid agency dedicated to providing medical aid wherever needed
Merama
Border crossing between Rwanda and Uganda, close to the Tanzanian border
Militia
Political parties in Rwanda all had youth wings that were covers for a party-loyal security force to protect party leaders and meetings
Military Adviser
Belgian and French military advisers to the Rwandan forces, advising the inner core of officers in the
RGF
MILOB
Military Observer, unarmed military officers loaned by their respective nations to the
UN
, formed in multi-national teams and sent on tasks of monitoring, observing and reporting. Also known as United Nations Military Observers (
UNMO
s)
MINURSO
UN
Mission in Western Sahara
Moderates
Prepared to bring refugees home, and share power in a multi-ethnic, multi-party government respectful of human rights
Colonel Moen
Chief Operations Officer of
UNAMIR
, Bangladeshi
Moustache
Codename of the Security Officer for the
UNDP
, French citizen
Movement-control platoon
Thirty troops trained to receive, load, unload and dispatch personnel and
matériel
from aircraft
MRND
Mouvement révolutionnaire national pour le développement, political party formed in 1975 by then President Habyarimana, former ruling party in
Rwanda under Habyarimana, party changed name to Mouvement républicain pour la démocratie et le développement (National Revolutionary Movement for Democracy and Development) in 1993, Hutu extremist party
Justin Mugenzi
Parti libéral president, hard-liner, currently under indictment at the
ICTR
Mulindi
A former tea plantation 60 km north of Kigali and used as the
HQ
of the
RPF
in Rwanda
Faustin Munyazesa
Minister of Interior,
MRND
extremist
Vice-Admiral Larry Murray
Canadian Deputy Chief of the Defence Staff responsible for all Canadian Forces members serving in operational theatres
Yoweri Museveni
President of Uganda, head of the New Resistance Army, sponsor and supporter of the
RPF
President Ali Hassan Mwinyi
President of Tanzania and facilitator of the Arusha Peace Agreement negotiations
NATO
North Atlantic Treaty Organization
NCO
Non-Commissioned Officer
Landoald Ndasingwa
Tutsi head of the moderate Parti libéral, known as Lando, Minister of Labour and Social Affairs in the interim government and the
BBTG
. Married to Hélène Pinsky, Canadian, owners of Chez Lando hotel, bar and restaurant, he and family killed 7 Apr 94
Captain Babacar Faye Ndiaye
FC
's Aide-de-camp, Senegalese
Colonel (later Major General) Augustin Ndindiliyimana
Chief of Staff of the Gendarmerie, reported to the minister of defence for operational taskings, support and logistics but to the minister of the interior for day-to-day police work around the country, became Major General at the beginning of Mar 94. Hutu, member of the
MRND
, confidant and supporter of Habyarimana, currently under indictment at the
ICTR
Mathieu Ngirumpatse
Hutu extremist and President of the
MRND
party
Ephrem Nkezabera
Interahamwe leader, special councillor
NMOG
OAU
Neutral Military Observer Group composed of a few dozen military observers and a light company of Tunisian infantry, located mainly in
DMZ
, absorbed by
UNAMIR
1 Nov 93
Non-Commissioned Officer (NCO)
Junior leader between soldiers and their officers
NRA (New Resistance Army)
Ugandan Army
Colonel (later Major General) Déogratias Nsabimana
RGF
(Army) Chief of Staff, strong supporter of President Habyarimana, killed along with President in plane crash night of 6â7 Apr 94
André Ntagerura
Hutu extremist and acknowledged dean of the
MRND
Cyprien Ntaryamira
President of Burundi, killed in plane crash along with President Habyarimana the night of 6â7 Apr 94
Colonel Ntwiragaba
Head of military intelligence for the
RGF
Joseph Nzirorera
Secretary-General of the
MRND
OAU
The Organization of African Unity
Opération Amaryllis
The French expatriate evacuation operation conducted in April 94
Operation Clean Corridor
Operation to prepare a secure route for an
RPF
battalion and politicians to travel into Kigali to a secure location in the city. Conducted 28 Dec 93, in accordance with the Arusha Peace Agreement
Operation Lance
Canadian Forces operation contribution to
UNAMIR
2, 1994â1996
Operation Passage
Canadian Forces operation to provide assistance to Rwandan refugees in 1994
Operation Silverback
The Belgian expatriate evacuation expanded to include their contingent in
UNAMIR
conducted in April 94
Opération Turquoise
Controversial
UN
-sanctioned French operation for a Chapter 7 intervention into Rwanda JunâAug 94
Operations Officer
Staff Officer responsible for planning and controlling military forces conducting tasks assigned by the Commander
Dr. James Orbinski
Canadian surgeon who served as a doctor at the King Faisal Hospital in Kigali throughout the genocide and saved the lives of hundreds, perhaps thousands, of people
The Organization of African Unity (OAU)
Organization founded in 1963,
based in Ethiopia, its primary aim is to promote unity and solidarity among African countries. Other aims and objectives include improving the general living standards in Africa, defending the territorial integrity and independence of African states, and promoting international co-operation. Membership of the
OAU
includes 53 of the 54 countries of Africa. The only African state that is not a member is the Kingdom of Morocco, which withdrew in 1985 following the admittance of the disputed state of Western Sahara as a member in 1984
Papal Nuncio
The Pope's Ambassador to Rwanda, Monsignor Giuseppe Bertello, who also served as the Dean of the Kigali Diplomatic Corps
Para Battalion
French parachute battalion stationed in Kigali, left Dec 93 returned Apr 94 to evacuate non-African expatriates
Para-Commando
RGF
parachute commando regiment
Para-commando battalion
Belgian parachute commando battalion
Parti libéral (PL)
Liberal Party, moderate political party headed by Lando Ndasingwa and Justin Mugenzi, popular among the business community and some Tutsi groups, split along ethnic lines in Sep 93
Major Marek Pazik
Polish Officer, worked with the
HAC
, callsign MamaPapa after his initials
PDC
Parti démocrate Chrétien (Christian Democratic Party), moderate political party led by Jean-Népomucène Nayinzira
PDI
Islamic Democratic Party
Macaire Pédanou
UN
Political Observer in Arusha
Suzanne Pescheira
Force Commander's Secretary, Ecuadorian
UNESCO
employee originally based in Paris, on loan to
UNAMIR
Charles Petrie
Deputy
UN
humanitarian coordinator in Rwanda and Burundi
Major Jean-Guy Plante
Canadian officer transferred from Somalia to Rwanda during the genocide and employed as media information officer
Hélène Pinsky
Canadian, married to Landoald Ndasingwa, killed 7 Apr 94
PL
Parti libéral (Liberal Party)
Platoon
Sub-unit of a company of up to 35 personnel commanded by a Lieutenant
Colonel Poncet
French Army Commander of Opération Amaryllis
Prayers
Military meeting where a commander issues orders to subordinates, also known as an orders group or O Group
Prefect of Kigali
Tharcisse Renzaho
Prefect
Political head of a prefecture, political division of Rwanda, similar to a governor
Prefecture
Political divisions of Rwanda based on the Belgian colonial system. In 93â94, Rwanda consisted of ten prefectures led by prefects, and sous-prefects. Rwanda is now divided into eleven prefectures/provinces
Presidential Guard
Highly trained, well-equipped, ruthless
RGF
bodyguard unit, based in the centre of Kigali, with detachments all over the city including near the airport in Kigali, Hutu extremist group intensely loyal to President Habyarimana
PSD
Parti social démocrate, united and influential moderate political party, known as “the intellectuals' party.” Led by the triumvirate of Fréderic Nzamurambaho, Félicien Gatabazi and Théoneste Gafarange, based largely in Butare, Southern Rwanda, made up of moderate Hutus