Reference:
(Organization of African Unity, 7 July 2000), 12.44-12.46.
Annotation:
In 1998 the Organization of African Unity (OAU, now the African Union or AU) created this international panel and gave it the mandate "to investigate the 1994 genocide in Rwanda and the surrounding events in the Great Lakes Region... as part of efforts aimed at averting and preventing further wide-scale conflicts in the Region." The panel's 24-chapter report was made public 7 July 2000. Chapter 1 discusses genocide in the 20th century. Chapters 2-8 describe and analyze the key events from the late 1800s to 1994 that lead to the Rwandan genocide. Chapters 9-13 discuss what was known in the world about the situation in Rwanda; what could have been done to prevent the genocide; and the role and responsibility of the OAU, France, the United States, and the UN. Chapters 14-15 describe what happened during the genocide. Chapter 16 discusses the plight of women and children. Chapters 17-23 discuss the consequences of the genocide and the situation in Rwanda today. In Chapter 24 the panel makes recommendations. Of particular relevance to women's rights is Chapter 16. This chapter discusses the role of women in rebuilding Rwanda, the gender inequalities that exist in this country, the violence that was committed against women during the genocide, and initiatives to address the needs and interests of Rwandan women.