Across the country of Rwanda, 800,000 people were slaughtered in 1994 and left dead on road, in fields and tossed in ditches. A country turned on itself and ripped itself apart, and yet nobody from the outside world came into to stop the mass killings. What exactly sparked the Rwandan genocide, and why did so many people lose their lives before its conclusion?
The Rwandan genocide was not genocide of chance. It was not a random act of violence that spiraled out of control, and it was not a spur of the moment killing that took the lives of so many. Rather, it was a planned and executed program that had been decades in the making. Tensions had been rising for over 40 years, and it was only a matter of time before some sort of large scale violence broke out.
In 1919, the Belgians took control of the kingdom of Rwanda and split the Hutus and Tutsis into two different identities rather than one culture. The differences between Hutu and Tutsi were minor. However, things like the shape of the nose and the shade of the skin color was enough of a difference to classify one as a Hutu and one as a Tutsi. Tutsi had features that resembled those of the Belgians. The Tutsi were believed to be the better race, with more to offer and more to appreciate. Hutu and Tutsi were taught from a young age that it was more desirable to be a Tutsi.
When Belgians exited the country, they left the Tutsi behind despite the Tutsi pleas to go with them. The Tutsi and the Hutus were left to try and find a way to live together. For some, it was peaceful. There were intermarriages and friendships between the cultures. Some Hutus, however, harbored anger and aggravation from the oppression, and it slowly built up to a breaking point. Radical Hutu leaders came into power, and 40 years of tension poured into a motive to take Rwanda over. Hutus wanted to punish Tutsi for the oppression they received decades before[1].
Small sign led up to the genocide, but many did not take notice. In the beginning of April the events took a turn for the worst. On April 6, 1994 the plane of Rwandan president Habyarimana was shot down and he was killed. To this day it is unknown who shot down the plane. Within hours, leaders of political opposition groups were murdered and immediately following the massacre of the Tutsi began. All moderate Hutus, or Hutus who sided with the Tutsi, were targeted as well. Because mass killing had been in the making for years ahead of time, it was very easy to set it in motion.
Source:
[1] Phil Cantrell, "Effects of Imperalism of Africa" (Lecture, Political History of Africa,
Ruffner Hall, Longwood University, September 29, 2011).
Nicole Dales - Journalism is my passion. I have been writing for the last 5 years. I wrote for my high school paper for three years and I had an ...
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