Romeo Dallaire

Lt.-Gen. Roméo A. Dallaire, OC, CMM, MSC, CD, (born June 25, 1946, in Denekamp, The Netherlands) is a retired Canadian general, senator, humanitarian, and author. Dallaire is widely known for having served as Force Commander of UNAMIR, the ill-fated United Nations peacekeeping force in Rwanda between 1993 and 1994, and trying to stop a war of genocide that was being waged by Hutu extremists against Tutsis and Hutu moderates. LtGen Romeo Dallaire [The Carr Center for Human Rights Policy] File links The following pages link to this file: Roméo Dallaire Categories: Images with unknown source ... The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, awarded to those who adhere to the Orders motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam meaning they desire a better country. ... June 25 is the 176th day of the year (177th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 189 days remaining. ... 1946 was a common year starting on Tuesday. ... Denekamp is a Dutch town located in Overijssel. ... The Netherlands (Dutch: Nederland) is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands (Dutch: Koninkrijk der Nederlanden). ... General is a military rank, in most nations the highest rank, although some nations have the higher rank of Field Marshal. ... The Senate (French: Sénat) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, which also includes the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the House of Commons. ... Humanitarianism is the view that all people should be treated with the respect and dignity they deserve as human beings, and that advancing the well-being of humanity is a noble goal. ... The word author has several meanings: The author of a book, story, article or the like, is the person who has written it (or is writing it). ... The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda was a relief mission instituted by the United Nations to aid the implementation of the Arusha Accords, signed August 4, 1993 in order to ease tensions between the Hutu-dominated Rwandese government and the Tutsi rebels (for the most part centered in the... The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945 and now made up of 191 states. ... Peacekeeping, as defined by the United Nations, is a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... The skulls of victims show gashes and signs of violence The Rwandan genocide was the organized murder of up to one million Rwandans in 1994. ... Hutu is the name given to one of the three ethnic groups occupying Burundi and Rwanda. ... The Tutsi are one of three native peoples of the nations of Rwanda and Burundi in central Africa: the other two being the Twa (or Watwa), a pygmy people, and the original inhabitants; and the Hutu (Wahutu), a Bantu-derived people. ...

Early life and education

Dallaire was born in 1946 in Holland to Staff-Sergeant Roméo Louis Dallaire, a Canadian non-commissioned officer, and Catherine Vermeassen, a Dutch nurse. He spent his childhood in Montréal.

He enrolled in the Canadian Army in 1964, as a cadet at Le Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean. In 1969 he graduated from the Royal Military College of Canada with a Bachelor of Science degree and was commissioned into The Royal Regiment of Canadian Artillery. He has also attended the Canadian Land Forces Command and Staff College, the United States Marine Corps Command and Staff College, and the British Higher Command and Staff Course. Canadian Forces Land Force Command (LF) is responsible for army operations within the Canadian Armed Forces. ... 1964 was a leap year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ... This article refers to the general definition of cadet. ... CMR Saint-Jean Crest Arms (© Department of National Defence) Le Collège militaire royal de Saint-Jean (CMR) was a Canadian military academy located in Saint-Jean-sur-Richelieu, Québec. ... 1969 was a common year starting on Wednesday (the link is to a full 1969 calendar). ... The Royal Military College of Canada (RMC), located in Kingston, Ontario, is the military academy of the Canadian Forces. ... A Bachelor of Science (B.S., B.Sc. ... UBIQUE (Everywhere) and QUO FAS ET GLORIA DUCUNT (Whither Right And Glory Lead) History The Royal Canadian Artillery regiment is older than Canada itself. ... United States Marine Corps Emblem The United States Marine Corps (USMC) is a branch of the United States armed forces. ...

He commanded an artillery regiment (5e Régiment d'artillerie légère du Canada). On July 3, 1989 he was promoted to the rank of brigadier-general. He commanded the 5e Groupe-brigade mécanisé du Canada. July 3rd is the 184th day of the year (185th in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 181 days remaining. ... 1989 is a common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. ... A Brigadier General, or one-star general, is the lowest rank of general officer in the United States and some other countries, ranking just above Colonel and just below Major General. ...

Rwanda

Gen. Dallaire taking part in a ceremonial march out of his peace-keeping compound as he leaves Rwanda (but will be his last visit until almost a decade later), 1994 [1] (http://archives.cbc.ca/IDC-1-71-1290-7532/conflict_war/blue_berets/)

In late 1993 Dallaire was assigned the position of Force Commander of UNAMIR. Rwanda had just endured several years of bloody civil war which had been concluded with the Arusha Accords, and UNAMIR's mandate was to supervise the peaceful transfer of power to the new Rwandan government. Gen. ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda was a relief mission instituted by the United Nations to aid the implementation of the Arusha Accords, signed August 4, 1993 in order to ease tensions between the Hutu-dominated Rwandese government and the Tutsi rebels (for the most part centered in the... The Arusha Accords (also known as the Arusha Peace Agreement, or the Arusha negotiations) were a set of five accords (or protocols) signed by the Rwandese Patriotic Front and the Government of Rwanda in Arusha, Tanzania on 4 August 1993, ending the civil war. ...

On the night of 6-7 April, 1994, an airplane carrying Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana was shot down over Kigali Airport. Following the airplane crash, Hutu extremists, with help from the Rwandan government, started executing Tutsis and Hutu moderates as well as the elected officials of the new government. This was the starting point of the Rwandan Genocide. Dallaire ordered ten Belgian soldiers (whom he considered his best men) to protect the new prime minister, Agathe Uwilingiyimana. The soldiers were intercepted by Hutu extremists and taken hostage, after which Madame Agathe and her husband were killed. Later that day, the Belgian soldiers were found brutally murdered. Belgium was outraged that Dallaire had put its soldiers in such danger, and promptly withdrew its forces. April 6 is the 96th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (97th in leap years). ... April 7 is the 97th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (98th in leap years). ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ... Juvénal Habyarimana Juvénal Habyarimana (March 8, 1937 - April 6, 1994) was president of Rwanda from 1973 until his death in 1994. ... Kigali, population 330,000 (1997), is the capital city of Rwanda and its largest city, lying in the centre of the nation. ... Hutu is the name given to one of the three ethnic groups occupying Burundi and Rwanda. ... The Tutsi are one of three native peoples of the nations of Rwanda and Burundi in central Africa: the other two being the Twa and the Hutu. ... The skulls of victims show gashes and signs of violence The Rwandan genocide was the organized murder of up to one million Rwandans in 1994. ... Agathe Uwilingiyimana (1953 - 7 April 1994) was a Rwandan political figure. ...

Seeing the situation in Rwanda deteriorating rapidly, Dallaire pleaded for logistical support and reinforcements of 2,000 soldiers for UNAMIR. The UN Security Council refused, several journalists laying blame on a gun shy US President Bill Clinton's administration which refused to provide requested material aid after the failed US efforts in Mogadishu, Somalia. The Security Council further voted to reduce UNAMIR down to 260 men. A session of the Security Council in progress The United Nations Security Council is the most powerful organ of the United Nations. ... Order: 42nd President Vice President: Al Gore Term of office: January 20, 1993 – January 20, 2001 Preceded by: George H. W. Bush Succeeded by: George W. Bush Date of birth: August 19, 1946 Place of birth: Hope, Arkansas First Lady: Hillary Rodham Clinton Political party: Democratic William Jefferson Clinton (born... Mogadishu A Mogadishu boy straddles the remains of a US Black Hawk helicopter during the 1992-1995 UN peacekeeping operation Mogadishu (Somali: Muqdisho) is a city in eastern Africa, on the Indian Ocean. ...

Following the Belgian withdrawal, Dallaire consolidated his contingent of Canadian, Ghanian, and Dutch soldiers in urban areas and focused on providing areas of 'safe control'. His actions are credited with directly saving the lives of 20,000 Tutsis. There is speculation that Dallaire's forces deliberately sabotaged equipment to slow their UN-mandated withdrawal from the combat zone. The Republic of Ghana is a nation in West Africa. ...

As the massacre progressed, the UN Security Council backtracked on its position and voted to establish UNAMIR II with a strength of 5,500 men. Several French and UNAMIR II contingents started arriving in Rwanda in June 1994.

The genocide, now known to have been brutally and efficiently organized months before, lasted for 100 days, leading to some 936,000 deaths, and over two million people being displaced internally or in neighbouring countries. The genocide ended when Tutsi RPF gained control of Rwanda on July 18, 1994, although retribution continued on a smaller scale for some time after and indeed, continues today. The Rwandese Patriotic Front (sometimes referred to as the Rwandan Patriotic Front, abbreviated as RPF) is the current ruling political party of Rwanda, led by President Paul Kagame. ... July 18 is the 199th day (200th in leap years) of the year in the Gregorian Calendar, with 166 days remaining. ... 1994 was a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar, and was designated the International year of the Family. ...

Life after Rwanda

Dallaire was medically released from the Canadian Armed Forces on April 22, 2000, suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder. At the time of his retirement he held the rank of lieutenant-general. April 22 is the 112th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (113th in leap years). ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a term for the psychological consequences of exposure to or confrontation with stressful experiences, which involve actual or threatened death, serious physical injury or a threat to physical integrity and which the person found highly traumatic. ... Lieutenant General is a military rank used in many countries. ...

Blaming himself for the failures of the mission, he began a spiral into depression, culminating on June 20, 2000, when he was rushed to hospital after being found under a park bench in Hull, Quebec. Intoxicated and suffering from a reaction with his prescription anti-depressants, the mixture almost put him into a coma. The story gained national headlines and sparked a fierce debate over the rules of engagement forced upon UN Peacekeepers. June 20 is the 171st day of the year (172nd in leap years) in the Gregorian Calendar, with 194 days remaining. ... 2000 is a leap year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Hull is a former city in western Quebec, Canada, now part of the city of Gatineau. ... This article describes the military term of the rules of engagement. ... The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945 and now made up of 191 states. ... Peacekeeping is a way to help countries torn by conflict create conditions for sustainable peace. ...

After the 'park-bench' incident, Dallaire began writing his book, started lecturing on his experiences, and was well on the road to recovery. He has since stated that during this bleak period, he considered suicide and attempted it on several occasions. Suicide (from Latin sui caedere, to kill oneself) is the act of intentionally ending ones own life; it is sometimes a noun for one who has committed, or attempted the act. ...

In January 2002, Dallaire was awarded the inaugural Aegis Trust Award and on October 10, 2002, he was made an Officer of the Order of Canada. 2002 is a common year starting on Tuesday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Created in 2002 by the Aegis Trust, the Aegis Award is made for altruism, resourcefulness and bravery in preserving the value of human life. ... The Order of Canada is Canadas highest civilian honour, awarded to those who adhere to the Orders motto Desiderantes meliorem patriam meaning they desire a better country. ...

In October 2002, the documentary The Last Just Man [2] (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0355680/) was released, which chronicles the Rwandan genocide and features interviews with Dallaire, his aide, and other people who were involved with the events that happened in Rwanda. It was directed by Steven Silver.

Dallaire chronicled the eventful months he spent in Rwanda in his 2003 book Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda. This book won the Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing in 2003 and the 2004 Governor General's Award for non-fiction. Shake Hands with the Devil: The Failure of Humanity in Rwanda is a 2003 book by Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire of the Canadian Armed Forces, with help from Major Brent Beardsley. ... The Shaughnessy Cohen Award for Political Writing is a Canadian literary award, presented annually by the Writers Trust of Canada to the best non-fiction book on Canadian political and social issues. ... The nominees for the 2004 Governor Generals Awards for Literary Merit were announced on October 26. ...

In January 2004, Dallaire appeared at the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda to testify against Colonel Théoneste Bagosora. The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda is a court under the auspices of the United Nations for the prosecution of offenses committed in Rwanda during the incident of genocide which occurred there during April, 1994, commencing on April 6. ... Colonel Théoneste Bagosora (born 16 August 1941) is a Rwandan military officer. ...

In 2004, PBS Frontline featured a documentary named The Ghosts of Rwanda^{[3] (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/)}. In an interview ^{[4] (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/interviews/dallaire.html)} conducted for the documentary and recorded over the course of four days in October 2003, LGen Dallaire has said: "Rwanda will never ever leave me. It's in the pores of my body. My soul is in those hills, my spirit is with the spirits of all those people who were slaughtered and killed that I know of, and many that I didn't know...." PBS re-directs here; for alternate uses see PBS (disambiguation) PBS logo The Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) is a non-profit public broadcasting television service with 349 member TV stations in the United States. ... Frontline is an hour-long public affairs television program produced at WGBH in Boston, Massachusetts, and distributed through the Public Broadcasting Service network in the United States. ...

In Canada, Dallaire is considered a hero who tried with all his strength to stop the bloodshed of a nation going mad and managed to at least save some lives, despite his difficulties. In 2004, he was 16th on the voted list of The Greatest Canadian, the highest-rated military figure on the list. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Officially launched on April 5, 2004, The Greatest Canadian was a project by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, to find who is the greatest ever Canadian. ...

Dallaire worked as a Special Advisor to the Canadian Government on War Affected Children and the Prohibition of Small Arms Distribution, as well as with international agencies with the same focus, including child labour. He is a great proponent of the concept of NGO world, and is currently a fellow at The Carr Center For Human Rights Policy (http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/cchrp/) at Harvard University's JFK School of Government (http://www.ksg.harvard.edu/). Child labour or labor is the phenomenon of children in employment. ... A non-governmental organization (NGO) is an organization which is not a part of a government. ... Harvard University is a private university in Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA, and a member of the Ivy League. ...

The 2004 film Hotel Rwanda featured a colonel loosely based on LGen Dallaire, played by Nick Nolte. Dallaire is quoted as saying that neither the producer, nor Nolte himself, consulted with him before shooting the film. 2004 is a leap year starting on Thursday of the Gregorian calendar. ... Categories: Movie stubs | 2004 films | Drama films | War films | Best Actor Oscar Nominee (film) | Best Supporting Actress Oscar Nominee (film) ... Nicholas King Nolte (born February 8, 1941) is an American model, actor, and producer. ...

On March 9, 2005, Dallaire received the 25th Pearson Peace Medal from Canadian Governor General Adrienne Clarkson. March 9 is the 68th day of the year in the Gregorian Calendar (69th in Leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The Pearson Medal of Peace is an award given out annually by the United Nations Association in Canada to recognize an individual Canadians contribution to international service. Nominations are made by any Canadian for any Canadian, excluding ones self. ... Governor-General (or Governor General) is a term used both historically and currently to designate the appointed representative of a head of state or their government for a particular territory, historically in a colonial context, but no longer necessarily in that form. ... Adrienne Clarkson Her Excellency The Right Honourable Adrienne Louise Clarkson, CC, CMM, COM, CD (born February 10, 1939), is the current Governor General of Canada. ...

On March 25, 2005, Prime Minister Paul Martin appointed Dallaire to the Canadian Senate, representing the province of Quebec. He sits as a Liberal. Soon after his appointment, Dallaire noted that his family has supported both the Liberal Party of Canada and the Quebec Liberal Party since 1958. March 25 is the 84th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (85th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... The Right Honourable Paul Edgar Philippe Martin, PC, MP, BA, LL.B, (born August 28, 1938 in Windsor, Ontario) is the Prime Minister of Canada. ... The Senate (French: Sénat) is a component of the Parliament of Canada, which also includes the Sovereign (represented by the Governor General) and the House of Commons. ... ... The Liberal Party of Canada (French: Parti libéral du Canada) is Canadas largest political party. ... The Parti libéral du Québec (Liberal Party of Quebec), or PLQ, is a liberal political party in the Canadian province of Quebec. ... 1958 was a common year starting on Wednesday (link will take you to calendar). ...

On May 25th, 2005, he received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from Memorial University of Newfoundland. May 25 is the 145th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (146th in leap years). ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ...

On June 9, 2005, he received an Honorary Degree of Doctor of Laws from Athabasca University. June 9 is the 160th day of the year in the Gregorian calendar (161st in leap years), with 205 days remaining. ... 2005 is a common year starting on Saturday of the Gregorian calendar and is the current year. ... Athabasca University, headquartered in Athabasca, Alberta, is a fully accredited institution specialized in the delivery of distance education courses and programs. ...

The United Nations, or UN, is an international organization established in 1945 and now made up of 191 states. ... October 5 is the 278th day of the year (279th in Leap years). ... 1993 is a common year starting on Friday of the Gregorian calendar and marked the Beginning of the International Decade to Combat Racism and Racial Discrimination (1993-2003). ... The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda was a relief mission instituted by the United Nations to aid the implementation of the Arusha Accords, signed August 4, 1993 in order to ease tensions between the Hutu-dominated Rwandese government and the Tutsi rebels (for the most part centered in the... Guy Tousignant is a Canadian major-general. ...

External links

• Transcript of the LGen Dallaire interview conducted for Ghosts of Rwanda documentary produced by PBS Frontline (http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/ghosts/interviews/dallaire.html)
• Transcript of the LGen Dallaire interview at US Holocaust Memorial Museum interview, conducted in Washington D.C., June 12, 2002 (http://www.ushmm.org/conscience/events/dallaire/dallaire.php#full)
• CBC Biography of LGen Dallaire (http://www.cbc.ca/news/background/dallaire/)
• LGen Dallaire's Personal Website (http://www.romeodallaire.com/)
• A small biography, a high-res image, and a review of his book Shake Hands with the Devil, from The Canada Council of Arts page (http://www.canadacouncil.ca/prizes/ggla/ggla_winners_laureates_2004.htm#nonfiction)
• CBC News article on appointment as senator (http://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/2005/03/24/senators-canada050324.html)