Pure Massacre: Aussie Soldiers Reflect on the Rwandan Genocide

by Kevin O'Halloran

Rwanda is no stranger to violence. In 1994, an orgy of killing swept across the tiny land-locked nation and genocide, the size and magnitude unseen since the Hitler horrors of WWII, erupted. Around one million men, women and children were mercilessly shot, hacked to death or burnt alive. To alleviate the suffering and restore order to shattered lives, a group UN peacekeepers, made up of Army, Navy and Air Force personnel, was sent to Rwanda under a United Nations' mandate. These Soldiers would be exposed to a lack of humanity they were not prepared for and found hard to fathom.On 22nd April 1995, the daily horror and tragedy they had witnessed escalated out of control. At a displaced persons' camp in Kibeho, in full view of the UN soldiers, over 4,000 unarmed men, women and children died in a hail of bullets, grenades and machete blades at the hands of the Rwandan Patriotic Army. Constrained by the UN peacekeeping Rules of Engagement, these soldiers could only watch helplessly and try to assist 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, stresses the weaknesses of the UN charter and what happens when "good men do nothing".He pulls together the perspectives of those soldiers who served in Rwanda at this time. Pure Massacre gives a new and personal voice to the Kibeho Massacre. It takes a special type of bravery, discipline and compassion to do what these soldiers did. Little did they know, when the second tour of Rwanda was over, that they would be the highest decorated UN peacekeeping contingent since the Korean War. For many, their service in Rwanda would come with a personal toll as Pure Massacre testifies, the suffering and tragedy is embedded in their memories.

Genres: War, Australia, Historical, Nonfiction

320 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 2010

Reviews

[Bec · Rating 4 out of 5]

The following quote from this book sums it up best: "I still believe that if an organization decided to wipe out 320 mountain gorillas there would be more of a reaction by the international community to curtail or to stop that than there would be today in attempting to protect thousands of human beings being slaughtered in the same country"

[Tyla Morris · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great insight to what really went on. My father was sent to Rwanda and this was a really good book to fully understand what happened.

[Phil Twiss · Rating 4 out of 5]

This 25th anniversary edition is a timely reminder of the terrible suffering that the Rwandan genocide of 1994, and the Kibeho massacre a year later, inflicted on all who were touched by it.

Pure Massacre is primarily a soldier's story with the included reflections and voices of those of the Australian UNAMIR II contingent closest to the atrocities of Kibeho. It is a harrowing read that draws more heavily than usual on the personal accounts of individual soldiers rather than the author's analysis - although this is present throughout.

Generally well written and interestingly put together as far as narrative is concerned. More than anything it puts a human face on those that matter most in peacekeeping operations. It is a book that should be written by policy makers and those who draft mandates for interventions and rules of engagement. Some things the UN got right, others horribly wrong. Despite this, the soldiers on the ground worked with what they had and reflected the incredible professionalism of the Australian Army. This is their voice and well worth listening to.