The Rwandan Genocide

1173 Words3 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: causes and impact of Rwanda genocide

Rwandan Genocide

The Rwandan Genocide began on April 6, 1994 and lasted for about 100 days (History). The two groups involved, the Hutus and Tutsis, were in a massive conflict after their president was killed. The Hutus brutally killed about 800,000 Tutsis and supporters. This tragic genocide was not stopped by other countries during its peak, leaving the world wondering why. As we commemorate the 20th anniversary of the Rwandan Genocide, it is important to be informed about the tragedy.
The way to distinguish the difference between Hutus and Tutsis groups was to know where the Rwanda settlements were. The cattle location determined the group. The people with the most cattle were the Tutsis. They could change the fact that they were a Hutu or a Tutsi by marriage or cattle acquisition (20th Century History). The Hutus and Tutsis respected each other without problems, until the events of the Rwandan Genocide sparked.
Then, the Tutsis and Hutus conflict led to a greater problem. This was caused by the German invasion in 1894 (20th Century History). Since the Tutsis were more European, they took on more responsibility. The invasion helped create the idea of using identification, more specifically identity cards during World War I. The identity cards were used by the Belgians. This contrasted the three existing groups: the Tutsi, Hutu, and Twa, which were a very small group of hunters and gatherers. Out of those three groups, the Tutsi occupied 10 percent of powerful leadership roles, which upset the Hutus (20th Century History). After the Germans invaded, Rwanda struggled for independence from Belgium. The Hutus, who were the majority of Rwanda’s population, were put in charge by the Rwandan government. This upset the Tutsis, sinc...

... middle of paper ...

...tal genocide. After their president’s unexpected death, the Hutus to the Tutsi unification was destroyed. Blaming the Tutsis for all negativity, the Hutus set out to kill them all. The Hutus were determined to have all of the Tutsis killed. After media attention, the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) took control. The Hutus needed a greater power to stop their pointless massacre. After 100 days too long, the slaughtering stopped, but the memory of this tragic event haunts forever.

Works Cited
"20th Century History." About.com. Neil Vogel, 2014. Web. 08 Apr. 2014.
"History.com." History.com. A&E Television Networks, 2014. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.
"Rwanda Genocide: 100 Days of Slaughter." BBC News. N.p., 2014. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.
"United Human Rights Council." United Human Rights Council. Armenian Youth Federation - Western United States, 2014. Web. 09 Apr. 2014.

Show More
Related

  • Analysis Of An Ordinary Man And Hotel Rwanda

    1043 Words  | 3 Pages

    The ethnic division within the Rwandan culture played an integral role during the genocide. In 1918, Belgium is given the authority to govern the territory of Rwanda-Urundi under the Treaty of Versailles. Under Belgian rule, the traditional Hutu-Tutsi relationship was morphed into a class system favouring the Tutsis over the Hutus. The Belgians eventually created a system of ethnic identity cards differentiating Hutus from Tutsis. This would become a central driver of the Rwandan genocide. In the movie there are many instances where Rwandan citizens are asked to show their identity cards. In most cases, those who were not Hutu would be punished. Another example of the geopolitical struggle between these two ethnicities was illustrated through the media. Media is used as a platform to convey a message that influences the thoughts and actions of individuals around the world. Since Hutus are the majority in Rwanda, they were able to exert their influence over the Tutsis through mechanisms such as the media. Throughout the country, local Hutu power radio stations were aired calling for the extermination of Tutsis. The station would often find ways to dehumanize the Tutsis. In most cases they would refer to Tutsis as ‘cockroaches’. In order to create an accurate portrayal of the genocide, the film used the exact recordings from the Hutu power radio.

    Read More

  • We Have NOT Done Enough to Respond to the Legacies of Historical Globalization

    868 Words  | 2 Pages

    "United Human Rights Council." United Human Rights Council. N.p., n.d. Web. 27 Nov. 2013. .

    Read More

  • Gourevitch's 'Hotel Rwanda'

    660 Words  | 2 Pages

    It was said that the genocide had deemed the name of Hutu Power, this meant that they were plan and simply killing off people and as many as possible. All this started in Rwanda’ Capitol Kigali and spread outwardly from there, as the Hutu traveled they killed the Tutsi. The Hutu had set up road blocks and checked ID’s and killed Tutsi, t...

    Read More

  • Prison Camps in North Korea

    1312 Words  | 3 Pages

    ...2009): 8-9. United Nations Human Rights Council Universal Periodic Review. Web. 8 Apr. 2014. .

    Read More

  • Genocide in Rwanda: Extreme Denial of Human Rights

    1536 Words  | 4 Pages

    It is impossible to even imagine the scale of hate, destruction, and massacre that occurred in Rwanda during those 100 days. Linda Melvern, on the International Development Research Centere website, describes in an article the Gikondo Massacre, one of the bloodiest mass-killings during the genocide. On the third day of the turmoil, about 500 Tutsi, many of them children, gathered at a church in the middle of Kigali, having stepped over the bodies of their neighbors to get there. They pleaded the clergy for protection. The priest did his best, but presidential guard soldiers arrived and accused the church of harboring evil. He then left, telling soldiers not to waste bullets; the Interahamwe, he said, would arrive with...

    Read More

  • The Tutsi And Hutu People In Rwanda

    964 Words  | 2 Pages

    For over a half of a century in Rwanda, the Tutsi and Hutu people had fought back and forth over supremacy, due to a racial battle driven by discrimination and severe torment. The Tutsi and Hutu societies were pressed alongside one another by foreign colonialist powers up to 1994 when a something had finally sparked.

    Read More

  • Rwandan Genocide: Unraveling a Historical Catastrophe

    604 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Rwandan Genocide was a terrible event in history caused by a constantly weakening relationship between two groups of people. The country of Rwanda is located in Africa and consists of multiple groups of people. Majority of Rwanda is Hutu, while a smaller amount of people are Tutsis. The genocide started due to multiple events that really stretched the relationship between the two groups to its end. One of the starting factors was at the end of World War 1. Rwanda was a German colony but then was given to Belgium “who favored the minority Tutsis over the Hutus, exacerbated[exacerbating] the tendency of the few to oppress the many”(History.com). This created a feeling of anger towards the Tutsis, because they had much more power then Hutus.

    Read More

  • Rwandan Genocide

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    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.

    Read More

  • Assassination Of The Rwanda Genocide

    881 Words  | 2 Pages

    “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.

    Read More

  • Legacies of Historical Globalization

    948 Words  | 2 Pages

    "Rwanda, Genocide, Hutu, Tutsi, Mass Execution, Ethnic Cleansing, Massacre, Human Rights, Victim Remembrance, Education, Africa." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.

    Read More

  • Similarities and Differences Between the Holocaust and the Armenian Genocide

    581 Words  | 2 Pages

    Beecroft, Rachel H. "Armenian Genocide." World Without Genocide. William Mitchell College of Law, 6 Aug. 2013. Web. 14 Apr. 2014. .

    Read More

  • The Hutu Tribe

    1500 Words  | 3 Pages

    Tutsis are related to the Masai and the people along the Nile, while the Hutus

    Read More

  • Rape as a War Tactic in the Rwandan Genocide

    2041 Words  | 5 Pages

    The Rwandan genocide occurred due to the extreme divide between two main groups that were prevalent in Rwanda, the Hutu and the Tutsi. When Rwanda was first settled, the term Tutsi was used to describe those people who owned the most livestock. After the Germans lost control over their colonies after World War I, the Belgians took over and the terms Hutu and Tutsi took on a racial role (Desforges). It soon became mandatory to have an identification card that specified whether or not an individual was a Hutu, Tutsi, or Twa (a minority group in Rwanda). The Tutsi soon gained power through the grant of leadership positions by the Belgians. Later on when Rwanda was tying to gain indepe...

    Read More

  • Argumentative Essay On Rwandan Genocide

    1104 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Rwandan Genocide “It is our responsibility to empower the powerless while giving voice to the voiceless” -(Irwin Cotler “Six Lessons from the Rwandan Genocide”) When the Rwandan Hutu majority betrayed the Tutsi minority, a destructive mass murdering broke out where neighbor turned on neighbor and teachers killed their students; this was the start of a genocide. In this paper I will tell you about the horrors the people of Rwanda had to face while genocide destroyed their homes, and I will also tell you about the mental trauma they still face today. Hutu and Tutsi Origins When Rwanda was first settled, the people there raised cattle, the ones with the most cattle were considered “Tutsi” and everyone else was ‘Hutu”.

    Read More

  • Ethical Issues in Hotel Rwanda

    961 Words  | 2 Pages

    ...ause the colonial masters believed that they resembled them. It was unethical for the Belgians to interfere with the peaceful coexistence that the two communities had enjoyed in the past. As a result, the Hutus acquired negative misconceptions about the Tutsis’ origin, what they stood for, and what they had done for them in the past. The Hutus expertly planned and organized the Rwandan genocide as a result of such historical distortions created by their country’s colonial masters.

    Read More

More about The Rwandan Genocide

Open Document