Dictionary of Genocide - D Ank Unlimited

case alleged not only that Bikindi helped to incite the genocide through his music but
also that he took an active part in the mass murder of Tutsi and moderate Hutu and did
so through the recruitment and training of Interahamwe members. As of this writing
(February 2007), the trial is still ongoing.
Bilateral Aid. In common usage, the word bilateral means something that is of, on, or
with two sides. In relation to the provision of international aid (as between states), the
term refers to instances where aid is imparted from one country to another. This implies
a relationship, if not of dominance, then at least of influence, by the donor state over the
recipient. Such a notion is often expressed in the form of what is referred to as “tied aid,”
whereby the donor benefits economically from its aid provision; an example could be
where the donor state insists that the recipient purchase goods, services, or expertise from
the donor in order to receive the aid being offered. In circumstances such as these, the
economic instrument can be turned on and off like a tap, depending on the degree of control
the donor wishes to exercise. When dealing with a poor or nondemocratic state as the
recipient, bilateral aid donors sometimes find themselves supporting governments that
oppress, exploit, or, in other ways, violate the human rights of their citizens for purposes
of aggrandizement or profit, as they take advantage of aid donations intended for the population
of their countries.
Birkenau. Also known as Auschwitz II, Birkenau was one of the three primary camps
in the Auschwitz complex and was designed to “process” (mass murder) more than six
thousand persons on a daily basis, especially Jews and Roma. It began its operations in
October 1943. Over 1 million persons are estimated to have been murdered there in its
four gas chambers and two crematoria. For a more complete understanding of this subcamp,
see the entry entitled “Auschwitz.”
Bisengimana, Paul (b. 1945). Paul Bisengimana was mayor of Gikoro commune in the
prefecture of Kigali-rural prior to and during the 1994 Rwandan genocide. According to the
International Criminal Tribunal’s (ICTR) indictment of Bisengimana, he, from late 1990
through July 1994, reportedly took part in the planning and execution of the genocide of
the Tutsi in Gikoro. In doing so, he helped to train and distribute weapons to militias and
other extremist Hutu, drew up lists of individuals to be murdered, and took part in carrying
out the massacres. After pleading guilty to the charges lodged against him, the ICTR,
on April 15, 2006, sentenced Bisengimana to fifteen years imprisonment.
Bitburg Cemetery. Site of a German military cemetery where both Wehrmacht (military)
and Waffen-SS are buried. In 1985, U.S. president Ronald Reagan visited the site
and created an international furor by doing so. Elie Wiesel, a Holocaust survivor and
acclaimed author, responded directly to him, “I am convinced . . . that you were not aware
of the presence of SS graves in the Bitburg cemetery. Of course you didn’t know. But now
we are all aware. May I . . . implore you to do something else, to find another way, another
site. That place, Mr. President, is not your place.” According to The New York Times,
“President Reagan’s regret at having promised such a cemetery tribute was palpable. He
walked through it with dignity but little reverence. He gave the cameras no emotional
angles. All day long he talked of Hell and Nazi evil, to submerge the event. . . . Not even
Mr. Reagan’s eloquent words before the mass graves of Bergen-Belsen, [though,] could
erase the fact that his visit there was an afterthought, to atone for the inadvertent salute
to those SS graves.” In a speech later that same afternoon at the Bitburg Air Force Base,
where he was accompanied by German Chancellor Helmut Kohl, Reagan stated, “There
BITBURG CEMETERY
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