The Rwandan Genocide was the mass killing of hundreds of thousands of Rwanda's Tutsis and peacekeeping Hutu in 1994. This great bloodshed was enacted by the Hutu dominated government. In the relatively small time frame of approximately 100 days, beginning with the assassination of Juvénal Habyarimana on April 6th, ending in July, at least 500,000 people were killed. This shocking number is approximately 20% of the whole Rwandan population.The assassination of President Habyarimana in April 1994 was the main spark that caused the deathly fires of hate behind the killings of Tutsis and pro-peace Hutus. These heartless acts were brought forth by two Hutu militias with ties to the Interahamwe and the Impuzamugambi. The genocide was controlled and directed, however, by a Hutu power group known as the Akazu.The killing, the death and destruction, was well organized. When it had started, the Rwandan militia numbered around 30,000. This equals roughly one militia member for every ten families. This horrible assault on humanity was a strong, nationwide, unstoppable effort.
Those effected by the genocide were descriminated against, totruted, and treated like animals or objects. They were put to death for the color of their skin, for simply being themselves. For the lighter colored Rwandans were typically Tutsi. They were the well-known minority in the nation, whilst the darker skinned Rwandans were typically Hutu.. In many cases, Tutsi women were often referred to as "gypsies" and frequently fell victim to sexual violence and crimes.The killings were a heartless, savage affair. It was yet another crime against humanity, that we so often witness. The malitia was relentless, killing in villages or in towns, often their fellow villagers. Militia members typically murdered their victims by hacking them to peices, brutally, with machetes.. Victims were often found desperately hiding, gripping on to life, in churches and school buildings, where Hutu lone gangs massacred them. Citizens were called on by local officials on the radio to kill their very neighbors. Those who refused were normally murdered themselves.
It is hard to imagine such evil, yet we see it every day. We see pain and death an destruction every day, and no one reaches out. No one campaings to promote kindness and love. No one teaches simple, unadulterated peace. We are a species of death and suffering, a species that, as a whole, loves the red stain of blood; such a stain that I fear we will never be able to remove our greedy, vengeful eyes from it.
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