Why did the US not want to intervene in the Rwandan genocide?

The US had just pulled American troops out of a disastrous peacekeeping mission in Somalia – later made famous in the book "Black Hawk Down" – the year before. read more

The administration did not want to repeat the fiasco of US intervention in Somalia, where US troops became sucked into fighting. It also felt the US had no interests in Rwanda, a small central African country with no minerals or strategic value. William Ferroggiaro, of the National Security Archive, said the system had worked. read more

"We are writing to express our strong support for an active United States role in helping to resolve the crisis in Rwanda," wrote Rep. Bob Torricelli (D) of New Jersey, in a letter of April 20, 1994, signed by Republicans and Democrats alike. read more

Due to this, when the Rwandan Genocide happened in 1994, the US government at the time thought its people would not support a military operation to end the genocide for humanitarian reasons, since there were no real US interests in Rwanda at the time. read more