ABSTRACT

Rwanda is not a simple case of ethnic conflict. It is a civil war whose initial political reasoning has been realigned on simplified ethnic lines, leading to a bloodshed of genocidal proportions. The current volatile situation in the Great Lakes Region-particularly in Rwanda, Burundi and eastern Zaire -is fuelled by the unprecedented proliferation of small arms in the region. The 1994 genocide in Rwanda was a uniquely tragic event which, it is hoped, will never be repeated. Yet the situation in Burundi-which shares many of the ethnic, economic and social characteristics of Rwanda-is also of great concern. The main victims of the genocide in Rwanda were not combatants, but civilians within a recognised state. The International Commission has recommended a number of measures to the Security Council in its March 1996 report to prevent the use, stem the flow and contain the traffic of small arms.