International involvement in 1994 Rwanda Genocide against Tutsi

 Britain was responsible, until mid-1994, for at least six deliveries of arms to the Rwandan Hutu regime, at a time when it was evident in Kigali (where Britain maintained an embassy) that tensions were building towards a genocidal civil war. The contract was worth $6m and included GPMGs, MAG 58s, grenades, rockets mortars, rifles, ammunition etc.


 Weapons are coming into the region from just about everywhere. For instance, there were 47 contracts from dozens of countries to supply arms or equipment, expertise and/or training etc either to the Burundi government or to armed Hutu rebels attached to organisations such as the CNDD, Palipehutu, Frolina or FDD.


The US Arms Control and Disarmament Agency says Companies shipped $100m worth of weapons to Angola until 1995. Portugal was responsible for a similar amount, including refurbished T-62 tanks and BMP-2s bought surplus in Eastern Europe in a deal made through Jose Antonio de Saraiva, the financial advisor to the Sultan of Brunei. 


The Czechs also provided Angola with another $100m for tanks, ACVs, artillery, anti-aircraft guns and ammunition.


Historically, Russia (in the post-independence period) has always had the largest share of the Angolan arms market. While details are sparse because of tight security, the sales that are listed total only $300m. The inventory does not include 50 Russian fighters, squadrons of Mig-17s and Mig-24 helicopters, almost 250 APCs, dozens of T54/55s and many tons of ammunition, much of it brought into the country onboard the Russian cargo ship Modul. 


Elsewhere, South Africa is quoted as having supplied Eland Mk7 armoured cars to Pascal Lissouba's forces before he was defeated in Congo-Brazzaville. There were also $12m worth of multiple rocket launchers and other sophisticated weapons, though a spokesman for Mandela's government claimed that there was "nothing lethal in the deal".

In the neighbouring Democratic Republic of Congo, a $26m French arms sale (as alleged by the UN) was made in a 1996 violation of the EU arms embargo. This was denied by the Elysee Palace.


Egypt, too, was involved in the1994 Rwandan Genocide against Tutsi. Cairo supplied the Rwandan Hutu led Armed Forces with Kalashnikovs, landmines (2,000 MAT-79s), explosives, RPGs, artillery and a range of ammunition. The deal, again quoted in the New York Times article, was apparently financed by the French bank Credit Lyonnais. Egypt had a hand in trans-shipping Bulgarian arms to Rwanda.


Curiously, Spoornet, the South African state railway network was involved in shipping weapons northwards to Burundian and Rwandan Hutu rebels. This was done through rail links in Zimbabwe, Zambia and Tanzania. Human Rights Watch confirms that Spoornet officials were aware that weapons were being moved.