The Peace: A Warrior’s Journey

In “The Peace: A Warrior’s Journey,” Roméo Dallaire recounts his harrowing role as the Force Commander of the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. Tasked with preventing violence in an environment quickly descending into horror, Dallaire was caught in a nightmare of bureaucratic barriers, lack of support, and overwhelming brutality. With limited resources and dwindling international commitment, he witnessed unimaginable atrocities as an estimated 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus were killed in just 100 days. The genocide represented one of the greatest failings of the United Nations and for Dallaire, the beginning of a profound philosophical journey.

Dallaire structures his memoir around Dante’s “Divine Comedy,” using the allegorical journey to guide readers through Hell, Purgatory, and The Peace. In Hell, Dallaire recounts the unfolding genocide through the spectrum of motivations that contributed to the atrocity and his own anguish as he bore witness to unspeakable brutality. In Purgatory, he grapples with the struggle to find meaning and healing, questioning humanity’s responsibility toward one another and the systems in place that should — but often don’t — protect the vulnerable. His journey culminates in The Peace, akin to Dante’s Paradiso, where he details his eventual reconciliation with his mission and purpose to commit himself to advocacy, seeking to inspire an empathetic global framework that can prevent future atrocities.

The structure is not merely literary. It serves as a powerful lens through which he examines the darkness in human nature and the potential for personal and global recovery.

Dallaire leads us through Hell by exploring the behaviours that forge the very essence of Hell — an environment steeped in war, genocide, and human suffering. These behaviours include deceit, disinterest, self-interest, ignorance, fear, othering, hate revenge, and denial.

Dallaire examines these traits individually but also connects them to the failures within international relations. He underscores how these forces drive the self-serving agendas and betrayals that haunt diplomatic efforts, fueling cycles of indifference and, ultimately, complicity in atrocity. Dallaire offers his reflection on the traumatic memories of Rwanda’s inferno, describing scenes that echo the worst depths of Dante’s vision. By exposing the shadowed interplay between human behaviour and international politics, Dallaire forces us to confront the truth that Hell is not just a place but a product of our collective failures on the global stage.

These behaviors serve as a dark tapestry woven through Dallaire’s narrative, illustrating how the worst of humanity emerges in the absence of compassion and accountability. Each of these elements builds upon the other, forming layers of horror that perpetuate violence and erode the moral fabric of society. Dallaire doesn’t just list these traits; he delves into how they manifest, transform communities, and leave profound scars on those who witness them. This chilling exploration reminds us that Hell is not just a place, but a product of our own actions and inactions.

In Purgatory, Dallaire confronts the “demons” of survivor’s guilt and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), grappling with his place in a world that often ignores its responsibility to protect the innocent. Dallaire’s leadership in Rwanda left an indelible mark on his psyche. Haunted by the sights and sounds of genocide, he struggled with profound guilt and powerlessness, knowing that he could not stop the massacre despite his best efforts. The emotional toll led him to experience severe PTSD, which followed him for the rest of his life. His commitment to peacekeeping took a devastating personal toll, leading to struggles with depression, flashbacks, and a deep sense of disillusionment with the international community’s failure to act decisively.

Finally, in The Peace, he finds solace in his advocacy work for veterans and child soldiers and his commitment to a world where peace is possible. Dallaire’s post-Rwanda career became a testament to his resilience and determination to find purpose in the wake of tragedy. His advocacy has focused on the mental health of veterans, the demobilization of child soldiers, and the importance of international responsibility. Dallaire’s story is as much about peace as it is about survival—he continues to speak out, using his personal suffering as a rallying cry for a world where no one has to endure the horrors he witnessed.

This powerful memoir goes beyond recounting events; it reveals the challenges and transformative realizations that arise from living a life committed to humanity, even amid disillusionment and trauma. Dallaire’s unique perspective sheds light on the complex interplay between military service and peacemaking, revealing the scars, struggles, and resilience of someone who has witnessed both the darkest aspects of human conflict and the glimmers of hope within it.

“The Peace: A Warrior’s Journey” offers a profound exploration of the human spirit’s resilience and the moral urgency of peace. I welcome readers to join Dallaire in walking through Hell, Purgatory, and ultimately The Peace, in hopes that it encourages reflection on the shared responsibility to create a world free from the fires of conflict. The path forward is daunting but the fight for a world where people can move beyond basic survival and toward dignity and humanity for all people is worth braving.