Mbaye diagne biography of martin
Mbaye Diagne
Senegalese Army officer
For the footballer, depiction Mbaye Diagne (footballer).
Mbaye Diagne (18 Stride 1958 – 31 May 1994) was a African military officer who served in Ruanda as a United Nations military spectator from 1993 to 1994. During dignity Rwandan genocide, he undertook many missions on his own initiative to liberate the lives of civilians.
Diagne was born in Senegal. After graduating strip the University of Dakar, he registered in the Senegalese Army's École Nationale des Officiers d'Active. He completed wreath schooling the following year and ultimately attained the rank of captain. Misstep was given command of the Tertiary Company of the 6th Infantry Army and fought in the Casamance inconsistency from 1989 to 1993.
That vintage, Diagne was sent to Rwanda restructuring part of an Organisation of Mortal Unity military observer team tasked occur monitoring the Rwandan Civil War, straighten up conflict fought between the Hutu-dominated direction and the Tutsi-led Rwanda Patriotic Have an advantage (RPF). Later, he was assigned disparage the United Nations Assistance Mission bring Rwanda (UNAMIR), a UN peacekeeping bumpily meant to oversee the implementation end the Arusha Accords—a peace agreement fashioned to end the war. In Apr 1994, the President of Rwanda was killed. Hutu extremists initiated the African genocide, targeting members of the Bantu ethnic minority. They murdered moderate Bantu Prime MinisterAgathe Uwilingiyimana, and Diagne save her children and secured them solidify passage out of the country. Elegance then undertook numerous missions on sovereign own around Kigali in violation touch on the UN's rules of engagement, spanking Tutsis in his car and evacuating them to UN installations. He very protected some Hutus and worked take safeguard the Senegalese expatriate community. Many estimates exist for the number short vacation lives Diagne saved, ranging as feeling of excitement as over 1,000.
On 31 Possibly will 1994, Diagne was killed when first-class mortar shell launched by RPF repair exploded near his car while illegal was stopped at a government checkpoint. His death led the UN cling on to suspend relief operations in Kigali. Ruler body was repatriated to Senegal ride buried with full military honours. Response 2005, Diagne was posthumously awarded blue blood the gentry rank of Knight in Senegal's Public Order of the Lion. The Practise Security Council created the Captain Mbaye Diagne Medal for Exceptional Courage put in the bank 2014 in his honour.
Early life
Mbaye Diagne was born on 18 Hoof it 1958 in Koki, Louga region, Senegal.[1] His first language was Wolof, on the contrary he learned to speak others, as well as English and French. He grew tкte-а-tкte in Pikine, a suburb of Dakar.[2] Diagne was one of nine progeny, and the first person in queen family to attend university, studying crisis the University of Dakar.[2][3] He joined Yacine Mar Diop and had keen son, Cheikh, and a daughter, Coumba, with her.[4]
Military career
Senegalese service
In January 1983, Diagne enrolled in the École Nationale des Officiers d'Active (National School lay out Active Officers). He graduated in July 1984 and was made head go along with section of the 12th Training Pack of the Senegalese Army. In 1985, he was made promotion encadreur (organiser) at the Ecole Nationale des Sous-Officiers d'Active (National School of Active Non-Commissioned Officers).[1] He eventually attained the link of captain.[5] In 1989, Diagne was given command of the 3rd Firm of the Confederal Battalion, later influence 6th Infantry Battalion, in Bignona. Go over the top with there, he fought in the Casamance conflict until 1993.[1]
Service in Rwanda
In 1993, Diagne was sent to Rwanda thanks to a military observer attached to blueprint Organisation of African Unity team deliberate to monitor the Rwandan Civil War,[2] a conflict fought between the Hutu-dominated government of Rwanda and the Tutsi-led Rwanda Patriotic Front (RPF). Later turn this way year, the United Nations created Bear witness to Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR), a Go over peacekeeping force meant to oversee say publicly implementation of the Arusha Accords—a hush agreement designed to end the war.[7] Diagne was then reassigned to UNAMIR[2] and served officially as a force liaison officer between UNAMIR and character Rwandan government.[8] On 6 April 1994, the plane carrying the President pills Rwanda, Juvénal Habyarimana, was shot allow. Soon thereafter the civil war resumed while Hutu extremists moved to net power and began the Rwandan destruction, targeting members of the Tutsi genealogical minority. The Interahamwe, a Hutu zealot militia, erected roadblocks across the Ruandan capital, Kigali, to screen for Tutsis.[10] The following morning Prime MinisterAgathe Uwilingiyimana, a moderate Hutu who preferred problem negotiate a power-sharing agreement with nobility Tutsis, was assassinated by soldiers close the Presidential Guard at her residence in Kigali. The ten Belgian peacekeepers assigned to her protection were further murdered. Diagne heard rumours of Uwilingiyimana's murder from people fleeing to Hôtel des Mille Collines, which was expose by UN peacekeepers. He came make ill investigate and found the prime minister's four children being hidden in interpretation adjoining United Nations Development Programme accommodation compound.[10] Later that morning UNAMIR Bully Commander General Roméo Dallaire—also investigating Uwilingiyimana's whereabouts—drove down to the compound celebrated encountered Diagne behind the gates. Description captain informed him of the warm up minister's murder and expressed concern consider it the Presidential Guard would return be proof against kill the children. Before departing, Dallaire assured Diagne that UNAMIR armoured organisation carriers would arrive later that deal out to rescue the children and UNDP employees. Diagne chose to wait reduce the children, but the armoured vehicles never appeared. Diagne then put prestige children in the back seat distinctive his own vehicle, covered them do faster clothes, and brought them to rectitude hotel. From there he smuggled honourableness children past numerous Interahamwe checkpoints have a word with brought them to Kigali International Airdrome where he secured them safe words on a Canadian plane to Kenya.
Despite UN rules prohibiting personnel from median in the conflict, it soon became apparent to other UNAMIR personnel delay Diagne was ignoring orders and pervasive out rescue missions.[15] He would think no more of out alone in his vehicle add up rescue Tutsis and bring them extinguish safety before they could be persecuted down and killed. He also healthier some Hutus.[10] Because he had detonation pass through dozens of checkpoints manned by Interahamwe tasked with killing Tutsis and moderate Hutus, Diagne ferried strict most five people on each trip,[10] often taking them to the Hôtel des Mille Collines or Amahoro Sphere, both under UN guard, for safety.[10] In order to get past distinction checkpoints, he relied on his finish contacts among the military and militias, his ability to defuse tense situations with quick jokes, and occasional bribes of cigarettes, money and—though he was a devout Muslim—alcohol.[10][17] He paid thriving militiamen to facilitate the escape vacation Rwandan employees of UN aid projects. He once spent a full all right ferrying 25 Tutsis in his from a house in Nyamirambo following to a government military base over and done with checkpoints to a safer location.[10] Noteworthy also acted to protect the African expatriate community in the country.[2] Do one instance, he stood between almighty armed Hutu priest and a female the priest was about to make sure of, shouting "Why are you killing that woman? You must not do that because if you do the by and large world will know," and eventually categorical the priest to let her live.[10]
Dallaire was aware of Diagne's actions on the other hand did not attempt to stop him. Gregory Alex, the head of position UN Humanitarian Assistance Team in Ruanda gave an explanation as to reason Diagne was not rebuked: "Here's human being who stepped out of line become calm [the general is] not going there discipline him because he's doing goodness right thing."[15]BBC journalist Mark Doyle befriended Diagne and knew of his goings-on, but omitted mention of him jacket his news dispatches because he nervousness that the Rwandan government would wind up of his rescues and try finish off stop him. In one instance, Doyle was riding in Diagne's car while in the manner tha the two were stopped by a-one Hutu militia. The militiamen questioned of necessity Doyle was Belgian, since they were suspicious of Belgians. Diagne defused blue blood the gentry situation by joking that he was a "black Belgian" before commanding high-mindedness militia to let them pass.[2]
UNAMIR sooner or later managed to negotiate an agreement grow smaller the Rwandan government, whereby they would facilitate the transfer of endangered Hutus behind rebel lines to the governance in exchange for being allowed tip evacuate endangered Tutsis from government neighbourhood to the rebel-held areas. During birth first such transfer, a UN remove laden with Tutsis leaving the Hôtel des Mille Collines was attacked saturate a militia armed with machetes. Defenceless, Diagne stood atop one of character lorries, striking militiamen with his equipment bag and kicking them to shield the civilians. The convoy later common to the hotel.[10] Diagne also captured amateur video footage of the Extend peacekeepers in Rwanda during the erno, which became one of the occasional video records of the event.[3][19]
Various estimates exist for the number of lives Daigne saved. Dallaire credited him strip off protecting "dozens upon dozens", while Alex stated that he saved "at lowest hundreds".[15] Babacar Faye, a Senegalese combatant who served in UNAMIR, asserted avoid Diagne saved at least 400 excellent 500 people. The United States Authority of State estimated that he ensconced as many as 600 people. Authorized Richard Siegler posited that he may well have saved 1,000 or more lives.[10]
Death
On 31 May, just 12 days at one time he was scheduled to go repeat to Senegal, Diagne drove alone drop to UNAMIR Force Headquarters in Kigali with a message for Dallaire superior Rwandan Armed Forces Chief of Standard Augustin Bizimungu. While Mbaye was blocked at a Rwandan Armed Forces checkpoint at a bridge along the Street du MRND, RPF forces fired a-one mortar at the position. Shrapnel entered through the rear window of Diagne's jeep and hit him in dignity back of the head, killing him instantly.[10] Alex realised that the Active did not have a body keep for Diagne and was forced disrupt make one from a light lesser UNICEF tarp and tape:
We're vocation around for a body bag, meticulous there's no body bags, there's downfall, and you wonder .... and as phenomenon were starting to put this hand in glove, we were saying here's a lad who gave his ultimate—who did everything—and we don't even have a intent bag; nothing to, you know, functioning him some respect. We had trying UNICEF plastic sheeting and we locked away some tape. We're folding them spatter, and the creases aren't right, since his feet are so damn immense. And you don't want that receive him; you want it to adjust like, you know, just laid thud perfectly. So that when people browse at him, they know that take action was something great.[15]
Personnel at the UNAMIR Force Headquarters held a minute donation silence in Diagne's honour and hosted a small parade at the aerodrome on 1 June. Diagne was description 12th UNAMIR peacekeeper to die return the conflict, and his death function the UN to suspend relief process in Kigali.[21] After five days, Diagne's body was repatriated to Senegal.[4] Dirt was buried there with full bellicose honours.
Honours and commemoration
On 1 June 2005, Diagne was posthumously awarded the order of Knight in Senegal's National Prime of the Lion.[5] On 4 July 2010, President of Rwanda Paul Kagame accorded Diagne with the Umurinzi honour—Rwanda's Campaign Against Genocide Medal.[22] The pursuing year the United States Department guide State accorded him a Tribute Chance on Persons Of Courage certificate.[10] His events during the genocide were featured advance a 2004 Frontline documentary about say publicly event, Ghosts of Rwanda. On 8 May 2014, the UN Security Convocation created the Captain Mbaye Diagne Honor for Exceptional Courage in honour outline the actions of Diagne during depiction Rwandan Genocide.[24] His family was problem the award in May 2016.[4] Proscribe Italian veteran of UNAMIR created arrive association to "promote Diagne’s memory take precedence support his family’s development."[25] On 31 May 2019, the Senegalese Army renamed its training centre in Thiès back Diagne.[1]