Rwanda today

Paul Kagame, the RPF leader, has been Rwanda's effective ruler since 1994 (formally president since 2000). Rwanda has stabilized economically and become one of Africa's least corrupt and best-governed countries. Critics note that Kagame has ruled increasingly authoritatively, suppressing dissent and exporting violence into neighboring countries. The legacy of the genocide is everywhere in Rwandan society.

<mark>Why this case matters most for the present:</mark> The Rwandan Genocide more than any other case shaped contemporary international thinking about humanitarian intervention. President Bill Clinton later said his failure to act on Rwanda was one of his greatest regrets. Roméo Dallaire's memoir Shake Hands with the Devil became required reading for UN officials. The doctrine of Responsibility to Protect (R2P), adopted in 2005, emerged in significant part from Rwanda. The principle is that states have a responsibility to protect their populations from genocide and other mass atrocities, and that when they fail, the international community has a responsibility to act. Whether R2P will be effective in preventing future genocides is an open question.