OTTAWA—Liberal Senator Romeo Dallaire, who led an ill-fated UN mission in Rwanda during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, is stepping down from the Senate because of international humanitarian demands.
OTTAWA—Liberal Senator Romeo Dallaire, who led an ill-fated UN mission in Rwanda during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, is stepping down from the Senate because of international humanitarian demands.
"I feel I have done my job here and I feel I have another job that is growing in importance,” Dallaire said.
He said neither his own depression and Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) caused by his experience in the Genocide against the Tutsi nor his frustration with the Senate, contributed to his decision.
"No, the PTSD was not a factor in my resignation. I am leaving one job because I have a more demanding job,” he said, describing work with child soldiers, investigating crimes against humanity and working with international institutes on preventing genocide.
Dallaire is author of two best-selling books. Shake Hands with the Devil, his account of his experiences in Rwanda, won the Governor General’s Literary Award for Non-Fiction in 2004 and became the basis for an Emmy Award-winning documentary and a motion picture.