ABSTRACT
Rwanda is one of the most densely populated countries of Africa. United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda's (UNAMIR) mandate was changed three times and, as some observers have commented, in each case the new mandate was rendered inadequate by rapidly changing circumstances. UNAMIR also assisted the government of Rwanda in establishing a new, integrated national police force, and began a training programme under the guidance of the UN Civilian Police administration. Programmes included international and local news, interviews, reports on conditions in the country and features touching on the work of UNAMIR and other UN agencies. The role of the local media in spreading rumours and exacerbating ethnic problems was well known to outside observers of the situation in Rwanda. The subject of UNAMIR's radio programme had, from the autumn of 1994 onwards, become an area of concern for the Security Council.
