The Rwandan Genocide, a time of darkness and death

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. At first, Rwanda was colonized during the era of European colonization around 1880’s through the 1900’s. Rwanda then became a German colony. Finally in the early 1900’s, it became a Belgian colony caused by the Germans losing World War I .Even though Germany took over Rwanda, after the Europeans, they would be responsible for laying out a rigid structure of racism, segregation, and defiance based on physical characteristics including the color of skin. The Belgian views of the Tutsi were great, they looked at them as elite, civilized, but most important, more European than they viewed the Hutu, this is a significant part in deciding if you were considered a Hutu or a Tutsi. The Belgians would measure the width of their nose to determine ‘how black’ they were. This would ultimately decide if you were Tutsi or Hutu. This would lead to major discrimination and segregation against the Hutu. For years the Tutsi elite would be favored over the Hutu. The Tutsi held a higher political power, administrative power, and educational power. Belgium was one of the main contributors to the long standing, intense, and deadly feud between the Tutsi and Hutu. Rwanda then gained its independence from Belgium in the early 1960’s. After the last great Mwami did, the Hutu’s started a revolution which drove Belgium out of Rwanda... ... middle of paper ... ...ther without knowing that it was our last time to meet.” (Cruden 203_ Augustin Nshimiyima recalls “We went to a shelter at the Busoro river where we spent a whole week. When we went to fetch water and came back, we met people had fled with our parents, leaving us behind, because of the battle that took place their. Even now I have no idea of their whereabouts, whether they are dead or alive is a still a question without an answer for me” (Cruden 210) The Rwandan Genocide was a time of ruthless slaughter carried out by the inequality between the Hutu and Tutsi. This time of 100 days of slaughter and death would shake the Rwandan, and international community for years to come. Survivors still are fortunately alive to recall the awful events that happened in Rwanda. Many human rights laws, activist, organizations would now form as a result of this genocide.