[Congressional Record Volume 155, Number 31 (Monday, February 23, 2009)]
[Senate]
[Page S2364]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                    TRIBUTE TO DR. ALISON DES FORGES

 Mr. FEINGOLD. Madam President, I was deeply saddened to learn 
of the death of Dr. Alison Des Forges in the tragic crash of 
Continental flight 3407 on February 12. In her passing, we lost not 
only one of the foremost experts on the state of human rights in Rwanda 
and Central Africa, but also one of the greatest advocates for human 
rights in our time. Alison's tireless appeals for international action 
to save lives both before and during the 1994 Rwandan genocide are 
legendary in the human rights and Africa policy communities. Her 
efforts have been widely reported on since that time, and I hope they 
will continue to inspire future generations. Her personal witness 
should inspire and challenge us all as we seek an end to ongoing mass 
atrocities, whether in Darfur, eastern Congo, or areas affected by the 
Lord's Resistance Army.
  Long after the genocide ended, Alison maintained her relentless 
commitment to pursue the truth and promote human rights. Her 
authoritative research on the genocide informed the International 
Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, national courts across Europe and North 
America, and even this Congress. She was widely recognized over the 
years for her objective and balanced analysis of the changing situation 
in Rwanda and Central Africa. This was not a standard easily achieved 
or without its sacrifices. Indeed, just last year, Alison was twice 
refused entry by the Rwandan Government, a government that once praised 
her reporting on the genocide. As a Washington Post editorial recently 
noted, while the current Rwanda Government has made impressive 
``accomplishments in righting its country and improving basic services 
. . . it continues to be intolerant of criticism.'' Alison was 
unwilling to allow that growing intolerance to go unnoticed--even when 
the result made it more difficult for her to do her job.
  Alison was never vindictive, but she was never afraid to speak the 
truth about growing repression or threats to basic rights when she saw 
them. In that sense, Alison Des Forges embodied the very best of 
America's tradition of supporting human rights and pressing for 
meaningful accountability for violations of those rights. She will be 
greatly missed, but we can pay tribute to her by carrying that 
tradition forward.

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