Friday, April 02, 2004
In 1994, 800,000 people were systematically slaughtered during 100 days in the small African country of Rwanda, It was a state-sponsored genocide. The world failed to interviene.
Didn't hear about the Rwandan Crisis. You're not alone.
Singer/songwriter Tom Flannery writes,
"I mean…this was nineteen ninety fucking four! I was just getting the hang of email. And you’re telling me that one group is hacking nearly one million of their neighbors to death with machetes? And that they announced their intentions publicly before they started the killing? The had machete training out in the open in front of their soon-to-be victims? That priests and nuns assisted in the slaughter? You’re telling me that the UN sent an absurdly small “peace keeping” mission to Rwanda with instructions that they couldn’t lift a finger to prevent any killing…only “observe” it? That the UN force was so ill equipped that...forget about weapons, they were actually running out of staples and fax paper? That the US did nothing to stop the killing because we had no financial stake in the country? Is that what you are telling me?"
Now on the 10th anniversary of this catostrophe (the killing began on April 6), Flannery and his singer/songwriter comerade Lorne Clarke have created a new free website containing essays, links to credible information and a suggested reading list, a few photos, and a CD-length collection of original songs (MP3 & Quicktime files). that deal with the subject.
A Rwandan Song Cycle is a joint Songaweek.com production.
