| Date | November 2017 | Marks available | 15 | Reference code | 17N.3op1.HL.TZ0.28 |
| Level | Higher level only | Paper | Paper 3 (History of Africa and the Middle East) | Time zone | TZ0 |
| Command term | Evaluate | Question number | 28 | Adapted from | N/A |
Question
Evaluate the reasons why the United Nations (UN) failed in Rwanda.
Markscheme
The question requires that candidates make an appraisal of the various reasons why the UN failed in Rwanda. They may focus on the small size of the UN mission (UNAMIR), which had an initial force of just 1400 peacekeepers. Candidates may also stress UNAMIR’s limited mandate, which did not permit armed intervention, and commander Romeo Dallaire’s failure to receive clarification from the UN of the mission’s rules of engagement. The UN also failed to respond to intelligence passed on to Dallaire to the effect that genocide was imminent. Candidates may look at Belgium’s decision to withdraw its full contingent following the murder of 10 of its peacekeepers, as well as France’s close relations with the Hutu-led government. The UN also feared a repeat of the failure of its mission in Somalia.
