Abstract:
The 1994 Rwandan genocide raised the issue of the role and responsibility of external
actors in the prevention and suppression of genocide. The central aim of the thesis is to
analyse whether and how so-called 'external bystanders' can be held responsible for
their inaction in cases of genocide.
Part I of the thesis problematises the definition of the term 'bystander' and argues that
to ascribe responsibility to bystanders it is important to distinguish between degrees of
responsibility. Three criteria - knowledge, involvement, capability - comprise the
theoretical framework according to which external bystanders can be held responsible.
External bystanders in the form of state governments constitute the central actors in the
analysis. Responsibility is determined according to the norms established under the
Genocide Convention and a universalist ethic.
Part II looks at the case of France and the Rwandan genocide of 1994. It explores the
historical and contextual background of the Rwandan genocide and French involvement
in Africa, and then elaborates three key themes: the extent of French government's
information about the preparation of the genocide and its awareness of the scale of the
potential disaster; the degree of involvement by the French government during and prior
to the genocide; and the level of French diplomatic and military capability to halt or
suppress both the preparations for genocide and the genocide itself. In combination,
these three criteria demonstrate the French government's high degree of responsibility
in preventing and suppressing the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
The main conclusion is that external bystanders should and can be held accountable for
their actions and inaction in relation to the prevention and suppression of genocide. The
theoretical framework and empirical evidence show that as an external bystander, the
French government, had a high degree of responsibility in relation to the genocide. In
demonstrating this, the thesis provides new knowledge on French action in Rwanda and
a comprehensive and critical analysis of French policy, while the theoretical framework
contributes to the evolving literature on bystanders.
