The United States was among the nations that voted to reduce the UN peacekeeping force in Rwanda during the genocide, significantly hampering the peacekeepers’ ability to effectively intervene and protect civilians.

The Genocide against the Tutsi began in April 1994, 13 years and two months after Jimmy Carter—who passed away on Sunday, December 29, 2024—had left office as President of the United States.

Despite the international community’s inaction during those dark days, Carter demonstrated through his organization, the Carter Center, that there was still a role to play in preventing similar atrocities.

Carter was among the influential Americans who led efforts to engage leaders from the Great Lakes region to address the plight of Rwandan refugees who fled during the genocide, as well as génocidaires operating near Rwanda’s borders and launching sporadic attacks.

Carter during talks that brought together the former U.S. President and representatives of the Rwandan refugees, including génocidaires.

In an article titled "Hope is Not Lost” published on the Carter Center’s website on September 19, 1995, Carter emphasized that, after abandoning the Tutsi, the international community needed to prioritize Rwanda’s challenges as much as those in Bosnia and Herzegovina.

He wrote that the world looked the other way the previous year when Rwandans died in the worst case of genocide since World War II.

Carter further stated that another 100,000 people had been killed in Burundi the year before.

"Instead of increasing its efforts to resolve this crisis, the international peace-keeping force is being withdrawn," he noted.

"Two million exiles, mostly Hutus, now live in crowded camps in Zaire and Tanzania. They are restive and afraid—and a few are armed and aggressive. Militant Hutu refugees conduct night raids into Rwanda and return to their camps in Zaire before daybreak."

Post-genocide security concerns in Rwanda, as well as ongoing violence in Burundi, prompted Carter to hold talks with leaders from the countries and mediators to seek solutions.

On October 8, 2024, Vince Farley, Carter’s Africa advisor, recounted Carter’s diplomatic efforts in the Great Lakes region. In November 1995, Carter visited Goma, a city hosting many Rwandan refugees.

Farley explained that the purpose of Carter’s visit was to meet with representatives of Rwandan refugees, including those based in the city and others from Europe.

During a meeting in a refugee camp, Carter addressed the Rwandans, explaining the Carter Center’s role in resolving conflicts in the Great Lakes region and recounting his visit to Rwanda, where he toured genocide memorial sites.

Farley recalled that, after outlining these efforts, Carter turned to the refugees and stated that some individuals in the room were architects of the Genocide against the Tutsi, warning them that justice would catch up with them.

Carter said to the génocidaires: "I know many of the leaders of this genocide are in this room, and I want to assure you that you will be brought to justice."

His words, though seemingly delayed, eventually came to fruition as many génocidaires were apprehended through the efforts of international bodies, including Interpol, and brought to justice. However, more than 1,000 génocidaires remain in hiding worldwide to this day.

The 39th President of the United States, who served from 1977 to 1981, passed away at his home in Plains, Georgia, at the age of 100.

Carter, born in 1924, had a diverse career as a naval officer, farmer, and governor of Georgia before serving as president from 1977 to 1981.

While the exact cause of his death has not been publicly disclosed, it is understood that his passing was due to natural causes associated with his advanced age and ongoing health issues.

He had in February 2023 opted to receive hospice care at his home following a series of health challenges, including a 2015 diagnosis of melanoma that had metastasized to his brain and liver.

Jimmy Carter warned the perpetrators of the genocide against the Tutsi that they would be brought to justice.

Jimmy Carter during his visit to the Rwandan refugee camp in Goma.