The Rwandan Genocide: April - June 1994

Overview

• Scope and Savage Scale: Unmatched brutality in a span of 100 days.
• Casualties: Estimates range from 500,000 to over 1 million deaths.
• Ethnic Tension: Long-standing ethnic divide between Hutu and Tutsi erupted into violence.
• Historical Context: Rooted in colonial times and earlier, with a racial hierarchy instigated by both local and foreign powers.
• Colonial Influence: German and Belgian colonialism exacerbated ethnic tensions.

Historical Background

Early Settlers

• Tour: Aboriginal pygmy hunter-gatherers from 8000 to 3000 BC.
• Hutu and Tutsi: Arrived between 700 BC and 1580 AD.

Pre-Colonial Period

• Kingdoms Formation: By 1700, Rwanda composed of eight kingdoms, later unified under a Tutsi king by the mid-18th century.
• Ethnic Divide: Clear divide between Hutu majority and Tutsi minority, with Tutsis holding more power.

Colonial Period

German Rule

• Berlin Conference, 1884: Rwanda under German control, favoring Tutsis administratively.
• Rwandan King's Cooperation: Used German military power for personal advantage.

Belgian Rule

• Post-WWI Control: Belgium imposed rigid racial segregation.
• Identity Cards: Rwandans required to carry cards stating ethnic identity.
• Privileges: Still favored Tutsis, sowing deep resentment among Hutus.

Independence and Rising Tension

Hutu Emancipation Movement

• 1950s: Resentment against Tutsis bubbled forth.

Rwandan Revolution

• 1959: Attack on Hutu politician Dominique Mbonyumutwa sparked violence.
• 1960 Elections: Hutu majority deposes the king; independence gained in 1962.
• Continued Violence: 300,000 Tutsis fled Rwanda.
• Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF): Formed by exiled Tutsis, planned return.
• Hutu Power: Propaganda campaign emphasizing Hutu superiority.

Lead-up to Genocide

Weapon Accumulation

• 1990s: Massive import of machetes, razors, and other weapons.
• Militias Formation: Interahamwe and Impuzamugambi groups founded.
• Military Expansion: Over-eager recruits trained with Hutu Power ideology.

Propaganda Media

• RTLM: Radio station broadcasting anti-Tutsi propaganda from July 1993 to July 1994.

Genocide Trigger

Plane Downing

• April 6, 1994: Plane carrying Hutu President Habyarimana shot down.
• Immediate Reactions: Moderate Hutus assassinated; chaos unfolds.
• International Community: Calls for intervention met with slow response.

U.N. Actions

• UNAMIR: U.N. peacekeeping mission established in October 1993.
• Challenges: Limited mandate; troops unable to stop the killings.

Genocide Unfolds

Initial Violences

• Immediate Killings: Creation of road checkpoints, killing Tutsis on sight.
• Death Lists: Prominent Tutsis targeted and murdered.

Mass Killings

• Schools and Missions: Massacres in churches and schools (e.g., Polish Palatine Mission Church).
• Rape Squads: Large-scale sexual violence, including the use of HIV-positive men.
• Civilian Participation: Ordinary citizens forced to kill neighbors.

Genocide's End

• July 1994: RPF takes control; mass exodus of Hutus begins.
• Post-Genocide Killings: Retaliatory murders by Tutsis.
• International Response: Criticism of U.N., U.S., and French roles.

Summary

• Ethnic Manipulation: Political manipulation of ethnic differences led to one of the worst genocides since WWII.
• Response Failures: Highlighted the limitations and failures of international bodies like the U.N.