100 days. That’s how long it took for 800,000 people to be brutally slaughtered in the African country of Rwanda. Nearly 100 years of tension and discrimination led up to this burst of violence. With little boundaries and even less international intervention, the massacre was completed quickly and thoroughly.
Belgium had held control over Rwanda since 1916, when suddenly in July 1962 they granted the country its independence. They left behind them an unstable country filled with racial discrimination and ethnic tension. While the Belgians had been in power they deemed the ethnic group of the Tutsis as the “better” race. The Tutsis were the minority of the country, though very similar to the majority, the Hutus. The Tutsis were usually taller and thinner than the Hutus and were thought to originate from Ethiopia. During the time of colonization the Tutsis were granted better job and education opportunities. For this the Hutus understandably resented the Tutsis. This resentment was present even after the Belgians pulled out of Rwanda.
There were riots and disputes leading up to the genocide. In 1959, 20,000 Tutsis were killed in a series of riots. This led to the thousands fleeing to Burundi, Tanzania, and Uganda. The peace between the groups was always strained and uneasy. This peace was shattered beyond repair when on April 6, 1994 a plane that was carrying the president of Rwanda (a Hutu), the president of Burundi, and various other chief officials was shot down. To this day no one knows who shot the down the plane. Some believe it was angry Tutsis, others say it was extremist Hutus looking for a reason to strike. Regardless of who it was, the death of the president sparked instant chaos. Within hours savage Hutus were running ramped, killing masses of Tutsis with machetes and clubs. Whole families were murdered in their homes, moderate Hutus were forced to kill their Tutsi neighbors or face death themselves, and hateful propaganda played continuously on the public radio throughout the country. Over 200,000 Tutsis fled to neighboring countries as the violence continued nearly non-stop. These refuges formed the rebel army, the Rwandan Patriotic Front. They gained numbers and support waiting for the right moment to strike the ruthless Hutu powers.
Meanwhile countries around the world chose to ignore the ghastly genocide taking place. Leading up to the massacre the UN had sent 2,500 multinational soldiers to try and uphold the fading peace in the country. Once the killing began the peacekeepers were overwhelmed with people in desperate need of protection. There was very little they could and did do to protect the Tutsis and moderate Hutu. Due to the death of 10 Belgium soldiers the United States, France, Belgium, and Italy pulled their personnel from Rwanda. They made no effort to evacuate the endangered citizens. The UN and United States took this lack of support a step further by refusing to call the massacre “genocide”. They instead dubbed it a “breakdown in cease fire.” If they had acknowledged it as genocide immediate intervention would have been in order. The UN Security Council unanimously voted to abandon the devastated country of Rwanda.
By April 21, a mere 15 days after the killings began; the Red Cross estimated the death toll was at 100,000. Those murdered were not just Tutsis, but also moderate Hutus and those against the violence. It is important to remember that while many of the Hutu did not get along with Tutsis, they were not in favor of the mass execution of them. Those who started the genocide were extremists who wished nothing more than to wipe out the entire race of Tutsis. By the end of 100 days many of those involved in the murders were people just trying to survive. There were often incentives for those who partook, such as food, money, and the property of those they killed. Soldiers and police encouraged civilians to take part in slaughtering the Tutsis. An estimated 200,000 people carried out the genocide. They created an unofficial militia, the Interahamwe; meaning those who attack together, to steadily carry out the destruction. The Tutsis often tried their best to hide from the Hutus and their destruction. They gathered at what they considered safe havens, such as churches and mission compounds. Musha, one of these supposed safe compounds, was the location for one of the worst mass slaughters of the entire genocide. They stormed the compound and began killing people at eight o’clock and continued straight into the evening. At the end of the day 1,200 Tutsis from Musha had been killed. The Hutu would often follow wounded victims to the hospital to finish the job. They did their best to leave no Tutsi alive.
By mid-May 500,000 Rwandans had been murdered. Due to pressure from international TV reports calling it genocide, the UN Security Council voted to send 5,000 soldiers to Rwanda. Unfortunately they failed to set up a timetable to do so. By the time they were shipped out it was too late. They did nothing to end the fighting. What did end the genocide were the Tutsi rebels finally overthrowing the Hutu power in July of 1994. As a result two million Hutus fled to what is now known as the Democratic Republic of Congo. Five million people were later killed there as a result of the mass exodus. The Tutsi tried twice to invade the DR Congo in an effort to wipe out the Hutu forces.
For a while Rwanda tried to make a multi-ethnic government work. They placed Pasteur Bizimungu, a Hutu, as president and Mr Kagame, a Tutsi, as deputy. Not long after Bizimungu was jailed on charges of inciting ethnic violence. As a result Mr Kagame became president.
The Rwandan genocide was one of the darkest times in the period of civilization in my opinion. It shone light on the absolute lack of support countries were given in times of crisis. The international community and UN did next to nothing to prevent, end, or decrease the impact of the genocide. It was as if the country was not worth their time or resources so they merely sat back and watched as it destroyed itself from the inside out. This absolute lack of international humanity led in part to the death of 800,000 people. Women, children, the elderly, and the innocent all slaughtered by citizens of the same country. The lack of aid is not entirely to blame for the genocide though. It was largely impart due to the hatred that had been bread into generations of Hutus. It is a prime example of just how powerful hate and discrimination can be when put into practice. This could have all been prevented had someone along the line ended the pointless separation of the two races. The problem all began with the Belgian officials 30 years before the massacre took place. Had they handled the country differently there may have never been a Rwandan genocide. While this event was horrendous it provides valuable lessons for all countries around the world. We cannot raise people on hate. We cannot discriminate against people for things they cannot control. And we absolutely cannot turn our back on people in time of need. If we use this occurrence to prevent others from happening in the future, then maybe a little good can come from something truly terrible.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1288230.stm
http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide_in_rwanda.htm
http://www.historyplace.com/worldhistory/genocide/rwanda.htm
Comments
Excellent job Haley!You are a great writer!