The Rwandan Genocide began on 6 April 1994, when a plane carrying President Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down over Kigali. This sparked one hundred days of brutal massacres throughout the country, and as the violence and fear escalated, the UN was called on to take action. The Triumph of Evil details the events that took place both in Rwanda and inside the UN that allowed over 850,000 people to lose their lives in one of the most horrifying genocides of the twentieth century.

The book is based on the eye-witness account of Charles Petrie, a UN official called in to assist in the region, and it documents what he believes were the failings of the UN when it came to protecting its own staff. In particular, Petrierelates the sinister events that led to the murders of a number of Rwandan nationals who were working for the UN, and were due to be evacuated.

Focusing on individual stories and experiences, he highlights how quickly terror can reign when disenfranchised groups are incited to violence under an oppressive system, and how even our most respected institutions can fail when political motivations muddy the waters.

A UN official's brave first-hand account of how the organisation failed 850,000 people in Rwanda, featuring original artwork by Spike Zephaniah Stephenson

About the Author

Charles Petrie is a former UN official who rose to the rank of Assistant Secretary General before resigning from the organisation in 2010. He has had thirty years' experience working in contexts of conflict and famine. In 2014, he was made an OBE for services to international peace, security and human rights. Charles continues to be invited to participate at the highest levels of UN policy-making.

Spike Zephaniah Stephenson is an illustrator and writer from Portsmouth. He has illustrated comics and storyboards for film, as well as writing and illustrating his own graphic novels. His freelance work has taken him into schools, prisons and the Houses of Parliament and he has produced artwork for the O2, the British Council and Amnesty International. @spike_zephaniah

Book Information
ISBN 9781783529285
Author Charles Petrie
Format Hardback
Page Count 368
Imprint Unbound Digital
Publisher Unbound