Rwandan Genocide Overview

Key Facts

• Duration: 100 days (April - June 1994)
• Estimated deaths: 500,000 to over 1 million
• Unprecedented speed and brutality; surpassed even Nazi Germany's genocide rate.

Background

• Ethnic Groups: Hutu and Tutsi (and indigenous Twa)
  • Twa: Early settlers (8000 - 3000 BC)
  • Hutu and Tutsi: Arrived later (700 BC - 1580)
  • Initially based on occupation (Hutu: farmers, Tutsi: cattle herders)
• Colonial Influence:
  • Germans favored Tutsi for administrative roles due to perceived superiority.
  • Belgians imposed rigid racial segregation and identity cards (Hutu, Tutsi, Twa).

Historical Context

• Pre-Colonial Era: 8 different kingdoms by 1700; Tutsi dominance established.
• Post-Colonial Awakening: 1950s Hutu resentment and movement for emancipation.
  • Spark: Attack on Hutu politician Dominique Mugenzi (1959).
  • 1960 elections resulted in a Hutu majority; King deposed in 1962.
  • Mass exodus of Tutsis from Rwanda continued into the 1980s.

Prelude to Genocide

• Hutu Power Movement: Anti-Tutsi propaganda and radicalization.
  • Document: "Hutu Ten Commandments" established Hutu supremacy.
• Growing Militant Groups: Formation of militias like Interahamwe.
• Import of Weapons: Machetes and blades distributed under the guise of civil defense.
• Media Influence: Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines spread anti-Tutsi propaganda, dehumanizing them.

Catalyst for Genocide

• Plane Crash: President Juvénal Habyarimana's plane shot down (April 6, 1994).
  • Immediate blame on Tutsis; assassination of moderate Hutus followed.

Outbreak of Violence

• Initial Killings: Overnight checkpoints established; Tutsis targeted.
  • Militia lists of Tutsis to be murdered circulated.
• Widespread Participation: Ordinary citizens coerced into violence; refusal often led to death.

Scale of the Genocide

• Death Toll: Estimated 500,000 to 1.1 million Tutsis killed.
• Sexual Violence: 250,000 - 500,000 rapes reported; HIV-infected prisoners released to form rape squads.
• International Response: Limited and ineffective; UN peacekeepers were restricted and unable to intervene.

Conclusion of Genocide

• End Phase: RPF advances (July 1994) led to collapse of Hutu government.
• Aftermath: Up to 2 million Hutus fled, leading to more violence against Tutsis.
• International Criticism: UN and international community faced scrutiny for inaction.
  • Comparison with quicker responses in European conflicts raised questions about racial bias.

Lessons Learned

• Ethnic manipulation can lead to catastrophic violence.
• Highlighted the failures of international intervention and the need for urgent action in humanitarian crises.