Roméo Dallaire, the colonel-turned-senator whose command of an ill-fated attempt to quell the Rwandan genocide haunts him still, will retire next month. He won’t figure prominently in today’s Question Period, of course, though several MPs may pay tribute to him during members’ statements that precede the daily showdown. But Dallaire is so well-respected all over Parliament Hill that the news of his pending retirement no doubt gives MPs pause to reflect.

Since 2005, when Dallaire first took his seat in the Senate, he’s never hidden his struggles with post-traumatic stress disorder related to the genocide he witnessed 20 years ago. He says, however, that PTSD isn’t a factor in his resignation; rather, his humanitarian work overseas is pulling him away from the Red Chamber. “I’m leaving one job because I’ve got a more demanding job,” Dallaire told CP.

There’s one good bet, as Dallaire winds down his public service in Ottawa: Parliamentarians will universally wish him well.

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