“Genocide” is the term used to describe a mass destruction of, or within a particular group, based on racial, religious, or ethnic discrimination, with deliberate and systematic motives. The term “Genocide” was coined by Raphael Lemkin, in the year 1944. Lemkin was a lawyer and his book “Axis Rule in Occupied Europe” introduced us to this term for the first time. According to Raphael Lemkin, “Genocide signifies a coordinated plan of different actions aiming at the destruction of essential foundations of the life of national groups, with the aim of annihilating the groups themselves.” However, according to the Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide, genocides have occurred all through-out the history of mankind . In this paper we will evaluate the most prominent cases of genocide in countries in the continent of Africa. The underlying causes of these mass killings will be explored and recommendations on how such acts may be prevented in the future will be made.
Factors leading to genocide in Africa
Genocide in Africa is a very common aspect in the life of the minorities. Genocide is still practiced in several places all through-out the continent. A large amount of people belonging from countries like Rwanda, Uganda, Soroti and several others, are regular victims of this human cruelty . Factors that lead to genocide can be listed below in the following points:-
- The thirst to gain power. In Africa, genocide might start off with a mere competition to gain power. Genocide can start off with a person or a group of people fighting against each other to be a dominant figure and achieve extreme power to rule the state. Rwandan genocide started with the Presidential election where suppressing the weak, was the ultimate process of gaining power.
- Political differences are another cause of genocide. A superior political party tends to dominate the weaker one, which results in mass killing and intra-state terror activity.
- Another surprising factor for the cause of genocide is the attempt to eliminate poverty from the continent.
- Poor governmental reforms and policies have also been a massive reason for the rise of genocide. This eventually leads to protest and genocidal acts through-out the country. Lack of providing proper safety to the citizens only adds up to this problem.
- Ethnicity is another surprising reason for the existence of genocide. This factor seems so extreme and inhumane that a wife might kill her husband if he does not belong to the same ethnic group.
Genocide in the state of Rwanda
The Rwandan genocide occurred in 1994, where around 800,000 citizens suffered death due to the invasion of the Tutsi refugees against the Hutu government. This incident lead to the Rwandan Civil war, where the Hutu government received massive support from France. The Hutu government distributed rifles and other arms and gave order of mass destruction. At a certain period of time, the Rwandan military, on receiving the license to kill, went on a killing spree and the death toll quickly raised up-to 30,000. As reported by The Guardian, the then UN – Secretary General, Boutros Boutros-Ghali, played a massive role in supplying the Hutu government with enormous amount of weapons . A massive, $20 million worth of arms were flown to Rwanda which were eventually used to kill the Tutsis. Government appointed military groups, like the “Interahamwe” and “Impuzamugambi”, were responsible for this mass killing.
The Rwandan media was hugely influenced by the government and hate speeches against the Tutsis were widely spread and written in reports and journals. Jean Kambanda, Prime Minister of Rwanda later revealed that an option of killing every Tutsi within the country was also given a serious thought by his cabinet ministers. On the 12th of April, the Tutsis took shelter in a catholic church in Nyange. The military got to know about this, from the church priest himself and eventually attacked the church. They killed every single Tutsi who took shelter in there. Thousands of women were raped and got infected with H.I.V virus. Immediately after the genocide took place Rwanda was left with around 800,000 causalities and 400,000 orphans . After the genocide took place and the situation improved, the newly organized Gacaca courts started a trial against those leaders for whom the genocide took place.
Genocide in Sudan
In 2003, a huge conflict arose between the Sudanese government and the two Darfuri rebels, namely the Sudan Liberation Army or SLA and the Justice and Equality Movement or JEM. The rebels brought up the security issues, that the Sudanese government failed to guarantee to the citizens of Sudan. The people of Darfur repeatedly suffered from attacks by nomads. However, the Sudanese government responded strongly and sent out a powerful force against the rebellious groups. Villages were destroyed by the Arab military that were granted permission by the Sudanese government to tackle the situation. As a result of this attack, millions of people were left homeless. The Arabian military known as the Janjaweed went on a killing spree and claimed over more than 400,000 lives. However, the Sudanese government refused to have any connection with the Janjaweed, thereby completely ruling themselves out as the initiator of this brutal act . In the year 2005, the UN- Secretary General Commission produced a survey report that said about 1.6 million people being injured in the war and around 200,000 refugees from the Darfur region had shifted to Chad. It was also reported that the Government of Sudan’s military was found guilty of initiating this act and assisting the Janjaweed to carry out this inhumane activity .
Genocide in South Africa
Genocide in South Africa has been a serious issue since the beginning of the 20th century or maybe even beyond that. In South Africa, genocide has been mostly about the “White Skin” citizens trying to suppress the “Colored”. But recent incidents have also produced some opposite situations. All through the 20th century, multiple incidents kept occurring repeatedly within South Africa. However, sometimes such brutal acts of genocide were carried on by the security police. Much hasn’t changed and the latest incident of genocide reportedly occurred in 2012 when around 34 mineworkers were killed by the police, as they were protesting against low wages.
Here we would briefly study about different genocidal incidents that have occurred in South Africa from the beginning of the 20th century :-
- In 1913, after a fellow miner was kicked to death by a white-skinned overseer, a group of 9000 miners started a protest against this incident. However “white-skinned” employees joined together and attacked the colored miners. This resulted in the death of 11 miners and 37 were left injured.
- There had been similar types of mining incidents during the years of 1921 and 1922.
- In 1946, Witwatersrand’s mine workers started a protest against low wages provided to them. The protest continued notwithstanding the tough and dangerous police force allotted by the government to tackle them. Resulting to this protest, almost 1200 people were left injured and 9 miners died.
- The Sharpeville Massacre has been an unfortunate incident in the history of South Africa. It began with nine policemen getting killed in the hand of an unruly mob in Durban. A couple of months later, the African National Congress staged a small protest in front of the Sharpeville, demanding an end to the pass-laws. The police then opened fired to the gathered public. This resulted in the death of 69 people. Several others were also injured in that attack.
- In 1980, 25 students were killed by the police while they were boycotting and holding a general riot. Similar incidents followed up in the next 7-8 years with the police opening fire in public which lead to the death of several political workers and general civilians.
South Africa has been the victim of genocide for a very long time. Even with mentionable developments all over the country, genocidal situations have occurred from time to time.
If recent reports are to be believed thousands of white farmers have been brutally murdered over the last ten years or so. Children and infants have been raped and tortured. The South African Government have however dismissed any such genocidal incident regarding this matter and claimed it to be a part of general crime. Most of the murders have been termed as simple burglaries to avoid further complications .
Since 1994, many South African who come from a European descent, has been subject to several attacks by the Africans communists. The appointment of Nelson Mandela, as the president of South Africa resulted in mass invasion on white skinned farmers all over South Africa. Although it was a new dawn for the black people in South Africa, the white skinned people were the new subject of suppression. Some reports suggest, almost 30,000 white skin farmers have been killed over the past one decade and a rise of a new genocide had commenced .
America and their Influence in African Genocide:
Although Barack Obama has been elected the first black president of the United States, it can be arguably stated that America has been an indirect part of this massive genocidal situation for a long time. The second largest African nation, Congo, has been a subject to massive attacks by the Ugandan government. Uganda and Rwanda have repeatedly attacked Congo to capture its rich mineral resources. However, it is believed that the above mentioned countries are merely a puppet in the hands of the US sovereignty. The United States pays a large sum of money to Ugandan and the Rwandan government in order to collect resources from Congo. This process seems less complicated as it does not involve United States as a direct participant of this human crime. The US superpowers have always defended such mass murders as conducted by Uganda and Rwanda. The Ugandan government was asked by Congo to pay a sum of $10 billion as compensation to the damage done. However, the Ugandan government did not pay much heed to the demands. This situation, however, did not change any attitude of the Ugandan government, as they kept serving the higher sovereignty .
Problems Faced due to Genocide
In a place where war and crime is a day to day phenomenon, development of that country will stay as a distant dream for a long time. Illiteracy and unemployment has been another serious problem in Africa. No proper revolution has taken place except the apartheid movement in South Africa that was lead by Nelson Mandela. Due to genocide, citizens have been left homeless which has forced them to run around the state and sometime take refuge in different countries. Genocide has resulted in famines where people have died due to unemployment and scarcity of food. Suicides rates have also been very high. Poverty throughout the country has been a direct effect of genocide .
Conclusion
Many scholars and activist have done research works on genocide and dealt with the causes behind the existence of genocide. They have also tried to find a solution to this inhumane phenomenon. But after years of research they have failed to find a specific solution to this problem. Although with the help of those researched works, understanding genocide has become easier. Genocide is a human activity done with full conscience. There is no way to bring a halt to this genocidal situation as the people involved in it do not participate in it to improve a certain need. But instead, it is all about suppressing the powerless by means of extreme violence.
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