The 1994 Rwandan genocide is perhaps one of the most important events to the African continent. In this event, a nation with one of the smallest land mass in the continent suffered the biggest loss of human lives in its history. Within a short time, about a million people had lost their lives within a span of just one hundred days. Other scholars have argued that number of people murdered in the genocide far exceeds the 1 million mark, about one fifth of the country’s total population. Several governments and human rights groups have taken keen interest in studying the Rwandan case so as understand the root causes and the implication of such events. This research paper analyzes the Rwandan genocide in three facets. First the paper will provide a longer review of the background that led to the genocide. Secondly the paper will review the events during the genocide and finally paper will provide an analysis of some of the implication or consequences of the genocide.
Background
Rwanda is a small landlocked state in Central Africa (now considers itself an East African nation) and just like most African countries it relies on traditional agriculture for economic sustainability. Originally, the region now referred to as Rwanda was composed on three ethnic groups, which are the Hutus, Tutsis and Twa. The Hutus, who were mainly farmers, were the majority making about 85% of the entire Rwandan population. Tutsis on the other hand were the elite minority of pastoralists making up just about 14% of the population. The remainder 1% was the Twa community that lived in forests as hunter and gatherers . Several years prior to the colonization by the Europeans, (the years between 1850 and early 1900s) Rwanda was led by Tutsi monarchs and managed to control most of the country.
Pre-colonial Rwanda was a safe country with a delicate balance between the wealthy elite Tutsi minority and the socially deprived Hutu majority. Muhoza (2007) illustrates that this coexistence was based on some myths. Some of these myths held that Tutsis were of celestial origin and that the kind civilization that they brought to Rwanda was of higher value than any other. Moreover, these folklore held that Tutsi were divine people who would always provide leaderships in terms of kings. This was a social stratification of the Rwandan society but still remained a cohesive nation.
However, the European invasion and eventual colonization of Africa only did more to divide the Rwandan society. Both Germans and Belgians exploited the existing social demarcation on order to assert control over the people. In doing so, Belgians associated the Tutsi elites with amore supreme race as compared to Hutus. In this respect, Belgians would view Tutsis a more civilized ethnic group and thus gave most powerful leadership positions to the Tutsis. To worsen the situation, Belgians exerted Tutsi control over land owned by the Hutus who relied on these lands for their agriculture ). In his respect, the Belgian leadership in Rwanda had provided the population with two identification cards for the different tribes. Thus when the Belgian regime in Rwanda came to an end, minority Tutsis held most land with vast wealth while majority Hutus were only relegated to forced labor and other hard jobs. For this reason, Hutus suffered grinding poverty and social amenities such as schools and hospitals.
Post-Colonial Rwanda
After Rwanda’s independence, socio-political stratification of the Rwandan community was now so deep and completely institutionalized. Government policy and leaders further sought to further define Tutsis as the ruling elites in Rwanda . Tutsi leaders were more concerned about developing their own lands and increase wealth of their kinsmen. These ethnic differences became apparent after the government entrenched some leadership positions only for Tutsis in law.
Ethnic tension soared as a few elite Hutus started to question the status quo. Additionally, the 1973 Tutsi massacre in neighboring Burundi was the first incident in which ruling elite had been challenged. Tensions in Rwanda continued to increase as popular Hutu resentment toward Tutsis began to grip the nation. An election was held in 1987 leading to the first ever Hutu president and leadership in Rwanda. President Juvénal Habyarimana’s regime of late 1980s and early 1990s exploited the Hutu population in an attempt to stem Tutsi control of the nation. Suddenly tables were turned and the Hutu majority now led an effort to eliminate all Tutsis from Rwanda (Muhoza, 2007).
Imminent Civil War
What was now imminent at this stage was a civil war. The Hutus had managed to win an election and that this was not in good stead with Tutsis. In this sense Tutsis felt that they were being sidelined from a country that they had led for almost a century. Additionally, Hyden, (2005), illustrates that there were other Tutsis in the diaspora such as Uganda and Burundi. By late 1980s, these Tutsis in the Uganda had made major strides by setting up a military wing with a very strong political front. In fact, Tutsis had managed to organize a military coup in Uganda and did so with much success. The Ugandan wing of Tutsi rebel was now a strong military force of about 6000 men and in late 1989 matched into Rwanda with the aim of retaking power from the Hutus.
In retaliation, the Hutu government took very stun measures towards eliminating Tutsis influence in the population. In a journal referred to as the ‘Kangura’ Hutus decided to spread sentiments of disdain to the population about the Tutsis in a bid to paint the ethnic group in bad image . In the Journal, the Hutus created the so called ‘Hutu ten Commandments’ that declared the Hutu supreme leadership over Rwanda and those schools and other institutions had to teach these ideologies. In one commandment, all Hutus were called not have any mercy on a Tutsi. Additionally, the Hutu government had cleansed it armies of all Tutsis and thus there was total Hutu military in Rwanda.
Tutsi rebels under the banner of Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) also developed such a journal in which they could spread their ideologies. The journal ‘the Kanguka’ was similarly used to spread words of disdain against the Hutus. Several armed peacekeeping forces especially from France had been sent to stable the country through the civil war as armed conflicts had occurred east of the nation.
In attempting to avert a civil war, the Tanzanian government and other nations especially the United States called both Rwandese warring faction for talks in Arusha. The signing of the peace treaty in August 1993 allowed for the formation of a Transitional Broad Based Government (TBBG) will would have members from each party participate in government until a proper election is held . As common to all treaties, some of the Hutu leadership was strikingly opposed to the Treaty which called for sharing of power with the Tutsis. An extremist Hutu group called the Coalition for the Defense of the Republic (CDR) associated with the leadership of Rwanda was strongly against the provisions of the Treaty. Nonetheless, the leadership agreed to sign the treaty.
Preparation and Genocide
Rwanda was clearly headed to a mass murder according to the preparation that the government had undertaken. First, the government had increased its military to more than 30,000 personnel or just about one armed military personnel for every ten homes. Additionally, the government had taken concerted efforts to arm its military by acquiring several thousand AK 47 riffles and other crude weapons such as machetes. In testimonies from senior government official such as the Prime Minister Jean Kambanda, the option of Tutsis extermination was openly discussed in government circles. The government and other Hutus leaders held that the cause of problems in Rwanda was Tutsis.
Additionally, there was stratification of the two ethnic groups through identification from both identity cards and nature of the individual. There were distinct identification cards for the different tribes. In terms of natural identification, it was common knowledge that Hutus were dark-skinned peopled, while the Tutsis were light skinned. The government had also identified local leadership who would coordinate a possible option ‘solving the problem by elimination’. The leaders were also to pin point Tutsis in the population in order to have a clear alimentation strategy.
The role of the media was also mentioned in the preceding events to the Genocide. Both print and electronic media played a key role in spreading propaganda about the Tutsis. First, it was print media through the journal Kangura that introduced the idea of using media to spread words of disdain. It was soon followed by radio where speakers would spread issues of contempt on the Tutsis to a point where it was a norm to curse against the tribe. International media is said to have either ignored the events in Rwanda or just provided the wrong information. This set the ground for a nationwide elimination of the minorities of Rwanda.
It was the shooting down of the plane that carried the country’s president Juvénal Habyarimana and his Burundi counterpart Cyprien Ntaryamira, was also happened to be a Hutu. In this event, the plane was landing at the national airport at Kigali but was shot down by a missile and in the end all passenger on board were killed. The event is said to have been the main catalyst for the genocide. Different factions blamed each other for the shooting down the plane; however, it was the perception that the Tutsis had downed that plane that began the killings.
The Military in Rwanda which was now composed of Hutus set off killing Tutsis in a very systematic and coordinated process. In this regard, all Tutsis were to be eliminated without regard to age or gender. In cables sent out by the United Nations Peace Keeping Forces, the killing is said to have ethnic based with local minority communities hacked to death. The militia and other members of the population were killing any Tutsi who would be identified by any means. Victim were searched wherever they hid, such as schools and churches and hacked to death. A famous scene was the scene where about 1500 Tutsis were killed in a Catholic Church. Every person in the church, most of who were women and children, were killed in that church.
Repercussion
The exact numbers of those killed is not exactly known. According to RPF, about 1,174,000 Rwandese lost their lives of who one tenth were Hutus (Hyden, 2005). Other bodies place that death toll at different figures however there is general agreement that figure lies between 800,000 and 1.18 million people killed. A United Nations-backed tribunal commonly referred to as International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda, was set up in Tanzania to try suspected masterminds of the genocide. Since the genocide, 22 people have since been executed in front of a firing squad for their role in the genocide (Sharrad, 2000). The Rwandese population has since understood the demeaning nature of ethnic violence and other forms discrimination. Rwandese have since distant themselves with anything tribal and the respect for each other humans. On the other hand, attention has shifted to international bodies such as the French government, the US government and the United Nations and their role in the Genocide. These cases of international concern or lack of it has since spread concerns in Rwanda.
Conclusion
Today Rwanda is an economically stable nation that has successfully emerged from the horrors of the genocide. Ethnicity has been stamped out the country with government policy and leadership geared towards national interest and development. Economically, the country enjoys one of the highest investment ratings in the region and is now a stable state.
Hyden, G. (2005). African Politico in Comparative. Cambridge, England: Cambridge University Press.
Muhoza, G. (2007). Explaining the origin of a modern genocide: The case of Rwanda. Cambridge: ProQuest.
Sharrad, K. L. (2000). The Rwandan Genocide: A Post-colonial Paradox. Adelaide: University of Adelaide, Department of Politics,.
Straus, S., & Waldorf, L. (2011). Remaking Rwanda: State Building and Human Rights After Mass Violence. Madison: Univ of Wisconsin Press.
