Aussie soldiers reflect on the Rwandan genocide

"I had a meeting with the Interhamwe leaders, and when I shook their hands, they were not just cold in terms of temperature. It was like their bodies were cold, even though they had a human form. Their eyes were the opposite of human, reflecting the most unimaginable evil. It was as if the personification of the devil was staring back at me," said Lieutenant-General Roméo Dallaire, Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda in 1994.

Rwanda, a small land-locked central African nation, has a history of violence. However, nothing compared to the mass killing that occurred in 1994. As the world watched, a genocide not seen since the horrors of WWII erupted. It is estimated that around one million men, women, and children were shot and hacked to death. In the midst of this chaos, a group of Australian peacekeepers were sent to help alleviate the suffering and bring order back to shattered lives.

For these soldiers, the daily horrors of their mission became even more sinister and sickening a year after the genocide when they witnessed another massacre at the Kibeho Displaced Persons Camp. On April 22, 1995, over 4,000 people died in front of the Australian peacekeepers at the hands of the Rwandan Patriotic Army. Bound by their UN peacekeeping rules, the soldiers were unable to stop the killing. They could only watch in horror and try to help the wounded under the gaze of the trigger-happy killers.

"Pure Massacre" is a record of what happened during this peacekeeping mission. Kevin "Irish" O'Halloran, a Platoon Sergeant at the time, highlights the weaknesses of the UN charter and the consequences of "good men doing nothing." The perspectives of the Australian personnel who served in Rwanda at this time are brought together in "Pure Massacre," giving a new and personal voice to the Kibeho Massacre.

It took a special kind of bravery, discipline, compassion, and nerve to do what they did. While no Australian soldiers died during or immediately after the Kibeho Massacre, their service was not without cost. "Pure Massacre" testifies to the suffering and tragedy embedded in their memories.

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