Rwandan Genocide

Africa has been an interesting location of conflicts. From the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea to the revolutionary conflict in Libya and Egypt, one of the greatest conflicts is the Rwandan Genocide. The Rwandan Genocide included two tribes in Rwanda: Tutsis and Hutus. Upon revenge, the Hutus massacred many Tutsis and other Hutus that supported the Tutsis. This gruesome war lasted for a 100 days. Up to this date, there have been many devastating effects on Rwanda and the global community. In addition, many people have not had many acknowledgements for the genocide but from this genocide many lessons have been learned around the world.

The state-sponsored massacres of Hutus by the Tutsi-dominated Burundian army in 1972 was one of the most significant post-Holocaust genocides and as such received appropriate levels of international attention due to a lack of political distractions within western nations. The genocide broke out as a Hutu-lead rebellion in which Hutu insurgents massacred Tutsis and resisting Hutus in the lakeside towns of Rumonge and Nyanza-Lac. As many as 1200 people killed in this initial incident, the Tutsi-dominated government responded by declaring martial law and systematically proceeded to slaughter Hutus (Totten 325). After hundreds of thousands of Hutus had been massacred by the Burundian government, the neighboring nation of Zaire aided the Hutus in a counteroffensive attack on the Tutsi-controlled army. Having succeeded in their effort, the genocide was quickly brought to international attention within a few days. The United Nations invested $25,000 from the World Disaster Relief Account’s fund...

Throughout history the region of Africa, presently known as Rwanda has seen a major rivalry and political instability. From the early 14th century to the 20th century the Hutu’s and the Tutsi’s were foraged into the perfect ingredients for a ticking time bomb. The political structures set up along the way by the earliest settlers and the German and Belgian colonists ultimately lead to a divide and hatred between the two groups. This hatred built up and eventually caused a massive genocide. This genocide could have been prevented if the political structures didn’t bring on favoritism and political divide.

The Rwandan Genocide was a time of ruthless slaughter in the African state of Rwanda. This time of murder would drastically symbolize the long standing racial discrimination against the Hutu. The years of segregation of the Hutu would lead to a dramatic, devastating, and deadly revolt carried out by the Hutu. The Rwandan Genocide occurred during the year of 1994 caused by years of inequality against the Hutu from the Tutsi.

“Beginning on April 6, 1994, Hutus began slaughtering the Tutsis in the African country of Rwanda. As the brutal killings continued, the world stood idly by and just watched the slaughter. Lasting 100 days, the Rwanda genocide left approximately 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu sympathizers dead” (Rosenberg 1). When Rwanda’s President, Habyrimana, was killed in a plane crash, turmoil and massacres began. A series of events escalated violence until two ethic groups were engaged in bloody battle: The Hutus and the Tutsis. Throughout the Rwandan Genocide, the Tutsis were targeted because the death of President Habyrimana and problems in social and economic life was blamed in them, thus resulting in the 100-day genocide.

Genocide is “the deliberate and systematic destruction of a racial, ethnic, political, or cultural group”. In Rwanda for example, the Hutu-led government embraced a new program that called for the country’s Hutu people to murder anyone that was a Tutsi (Gourevitch, 6). This new policy of one ethnic group (Hutu) that was called upon to murder another ethnic group (Tutsi) occurred during April through June of 1994 and resulted in the genocide of approximately 800,000 innocent people that even included women and children of all ages. In this paper I will first analyze the origins/historical context regarding the discontent amongst the Hutu and Tutsi people as well as the historical context as to why major players in the international community chose not to intervene. Second, the actor/agent using political violence, in this case the Hutu, will also be analyzed into segments that include the characterization of the Hutu people, as well as their goals, tactics of violence used and resources administered that allowed them to accomplish the genocide against the Tutsi. Finally, how the Tutsi respond to the violence against them, what resources they had in deterring the Hutu and the outcome of the Rwanda genocide will also be discussed.

In the beginning of April, 1994, Hutus began slaughtering the Tutsis in Rwanda. As the vicious killings kept on going, the world stood quit and just watched the slaughter. As 100 days past, the Rwanda genocide left around 800,000 Tutsis and Hutu dead.

After the Europeans supported the Hutus, they began the revolt. By 1959 the Hutus had gained power and were taking land from the Tutsis. The Tutsis moved to neighboring countries and created the Front Patriotique Rwandais and were trained by the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). The Hutus finally gained independence for Rwanda in 1962. The new Hutus government, which was inexperienced, had problems. Tension between the people grew and in 1990 the civil war began and didn 't end till 1993. Then in 1994 the Hutus President’s plane was shot down, and the Hutus believe it was the Tutsi that did it, and the Tutsi believe the Hutus people did it to have a reason to start the genocide. The Rwandan Genocide of 1994 happened over a period of 100 days. The brutality perpetrated by the Hutus upon the Tutsis resulted in 800,000 deaths After the Genocide the government get rid of ethnicity cards that would be able to ethnically identify them. In today’s Rwandan society the Hutus and the Tutsis get along, because they have realized that they are similar to each other when it comes to everyday

Before World War I Rwanda erected under German rule, after losing an abundance in the Treaty Versailles Germany forced to surrender the Rwandan territory (Fisanick, 16). Belgium acquired Rwanda and the divisions of Tutsi and Hutu were furthered defined. Only Tutsi’s had access to education and Belgium put them in direct power and left the Hutu’s to be the impoverished of Rwanda, making Hutu’s angry with the Tutsis. Tutsis were the ones who could buy cows and other means of agriculture, which remains Rwanda’s core source of income and trading. Yet, shift in status came in 1960 when Hutu’s over through Tutsis leader (Fisanick, 29). In addition, owning cows and farming became a sign of low social status, mainly for the reason that that’s how Tutsis lived. Under Hutu power the economy collapsed, due to a rough harvesting year (Fisanick, 29-30). The nation suffered from hunger and numerous other deficits that increased Hutu’s anger with Tutsis, “The Tutsis became a scapegoat in Rwanda society (Harperen,

On April 7th, 1994 the civil war that started in 1990 in Rwanda reached a climax, when the plane of President Habyarimana was shot down (Corey & Joireman, 2004). Tensions between the minority Tutsis and the majority Hutus had been strained for decades, but Hutu extremists used this event as justification for initiating genocide against the Tutsi population of Rwanda (Corey & Joireman, 2004). Although the onset of the genocide was sudden, careful plans had been put into place over the course of the civil war (Corey & Joireman, 2004). Machetes were ordered, lists of enemies were compiled, and the media within the country began spreading propaganda against the Tutsi population (Corey & Joireman, 2004). At the urging of the current governing party, Hutus carried out a mass slaughter of the Tutsis within the country (Corey & Joireman, 2004). Using machetes as their primary weapon, a citizen militia called the Interhamwe erected roadblocks to weed out and kill Tutsis (Corey & Joireman, 2004). The Interhamwe went door to door, searching out Tutsis and any moderate Hutus who stood in their way or tried to protect Tutsis (Corey & Joireman, 2004). The genocide finally came to an end on July 4th 1994, after one hundred days of brutal violence (Corey & Joireman, 2004).

During the Rwanda Civil War, which began in 1990 between the Tutsi and Hutu tribes, many Tutsi would be victims of genocide within hours of the assassination of President of Rwanda. Moreover when the genocide begun the whole country suffered an impact Tutsi had not a safe place to live a normal life without violence, not a safe place is the only issue, shortage of food, water, clothes and other things also hurt the entire population of Rwanda. “Just two months later, 800,000 people were dead” (Sartwell). The film followed the story of a Hutu man; Paul Rusesabagina as he housed ...

The Rwandan genocide was a terrible act that happened in Rwanda in 1990.This genocide impacted the world as we know it. It was a conflict between Hutus and Tutsis.This genocide happen because of false accusations. This genocide lasted over 100 days, people were hiding all the time. On April 16, the Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana plane was shot down and the Hutus blame the Tutsis for this, but matter in fact Hutus were the ones who shot the plane down Hutus always had it for the tutsis. But this didn't stop them from causing this.Hutus would spot the Tutsis by the skinny noses.The Tutis would always hide from the Hutus when this genocide starting happening because the Hutus would get in a large group and grab machetes and start slashing

The genocide was planned by members of the core political elite, many of whom occupied positions at top levels of the national government. Perpetrators came from the ranks of the Rwandan army, the Gendarmerie, government-backed militias including the Interahamwe and Impuzamugambi, as well as Catholic clergy and countless ordinary civilians. Some militias called themselves the "Army of Jesus" and they believed their mission was to destroy God's enemies.[4] The genocide took place in the context of the Rwandan Civil War, an ongoing conflict beginning in 1990 between the Hutu-led government and the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), which largely comprised Tutsi refugees whose families had fled to Uganda after the 1959 Hutu revolt against colonial