Genocide In Rwanda
Genocide in Rwanda (Culminating Task)
Lynch Alcala
a.) Summary Rwanda is separated into two major ethnic groups, the Huts and the Tutsis. Majority of Rwandans are Hutus who make up about 80 per cent of the population, and only about 15 per cent are Tutsis. These two ethnic groups shared the same language and culture, but there had been conflicts between the two groups that occurred during the colonial period. Rwanda was colonized by Belgians after the first World War. There had been racism going on during the colonial period, the Tutsis, who were seen to have more European characteristics, were considered to be superior to the Hutus. Since then, conflicts and animosity between the two groups started to occur. When the Rwandans finally …show more content…
got their independence from Belgium, the Hutus took all the power and controlled the new government.
After that, small massacres keeps happening in Rwanda and almost all the victims were Tutsis. President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, signed “Arusha Accords” that let the Tutsis participate in the government and weakened the Hutus’ power. The president died on April 6, 1994 when his plane got shot down. No one ever knew who were responsible for this assassination, but the Tutsis were blamed and the animosity between the two groups sparked even bigger. Hutus started killing thousands and thousands of Tutsis, these massive killing were clearly turning out to be a genocide. While thousands of people are being killed in Rwanda, the world stood still and remained idle. The UN somehow ignored the issue and failed to respond quickly to stop the genocide. The Tutsi rebels, RPF, seek revenge and fought with Canadian General Romeo Dallaire’s full support. The RPF succeeded after 100 days of killings, on July …show more content…
18, 1994, the war came to an end leaving approximately 800,000 people dead.
b.) Critical Question What was the role of President Habyarimana and the group he raised in the genocide and the Hutu conformity?
c.) Research Analysis Evidences from different investigations about the genocide proved that the murder of more than 800,000 people in just three months was not just a simple “tribal civil war”, but was rather a sophisticated “final solution” that was years in planning.
One of the most shocking pieces of evidence came from a Hutu soldier who confessed his role in the “death squad”, killing thousands of Tutsis. He said that the death squad leaders are people trained to kill without leaving a trace, he also said that these people were President Habyarimana’s clan. The killings that led to genocide were carried out by a special force called “Interahamwe”. Intherahamwe was raised by President Habyarimana, this group was made up of 8,000 armed Hutu extremists. A UN report conducted several years after the genocide showed that the President had used millions of dollars in international aid to stockpile thousands of machetes, axes, clubs, guns and many other weapons used in the killings. According to an investigation, Interahamwe also practiced massacres to train for the genocide, this was proved by the records of slaughtering more than a year ago before the actual genocide. The genocide was planned by a shadowy group working in the President’s Palace, this group was known as “Network Zero”. Habyarimana and the Network Zero’s plan was supported by thousands of presidential guards and police officers. Their plan was so influential that even the army and the service council participated in the
killings. However, these plans and evidences stayed hidden during Habyarimana’s leadership. The president signed the “Arusha Accords” that let the Tutsis join in the government, he used this compliance so that the innocent people would not know that it was him behind all the killings. Habyarimana died on April 6, 1994, but his death didn’t leave Rwanda in peace, rather it seemed to be the signal to start the genocide he has been planning for years. Habyarimana’s plan and the group he raised went on after he died, killing thousands of Tutsis including the Hutus who were willing to tolerate Tutsis. Not all the Hutus were in favour of killing Tutsis, some of them were forced to slaughter. During the genocide, a people’s role was based on their identification. Meaning Hutus are to kill, and Tutsis are to be killed. Some Hutus just didn’t have choice but to participate killing the Tutsis, or else they would be slaughtered instead. These consequences and their reference group’s identification led the Hutus to conformity.
d.) Synthesis
President Habyarimana was the one who supported and planned the genocide, he even spent millions of dollars to make sure that the genocide is really going to happen. He left informational influences that made Hutus think and consider Tutsis as their “out-group”. After he died, the group he raised continued the plans they have been planning for.
They were so influential so that the Hutus had no choice but conformity. Knowing that the Hutus make up 85 per cent of the population, their group size increased conformity and they became more influential.
Lynch Alcala
a.) Summary Rwanda is separated into two major ethnic groups, the Huts and the Tutsis. Majority of Rwandans are Hutus who make up about 80 per cent of the population, and only about 15 per cent are Tutsis. These two ethnic groups shared the same language and culture, but there had been conflicts between the two groups that occurred during the colonial period. Rwanda was colonized by Belgians after the first World War. There had been racism going on during the colonial period, the Tutsis, who were seen to have more European characteristics, were considered to be superior to the Hutus. Since then, conflicts and animosity between the two groups started to occur. When the Rwandans finally …show more content…
got their independence from Belgium, the Hutus took all the power and controlled the new government.
After that, small massacres keeps happening in Rwanda and almost all the victims were Tutsis. President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, signed “Arusha Accords” that let the Tutsis participate in the government and weakened the Hutus’ power. The president died on April 6, 1994 when his plane got shot down. No one ever knew who were responsible for this assassination, but the Tutsis were blamed and the animosity between the two groups sparked even bigger. Hutus started killing thousands and thousands of Tutsis, these massive killing were clearly turning out to be a genocide. While thousands of people are being killed in Rwanda, the world stood still and remained idle. The UN somehow ignored the issue and failed to respond quickly to stop the genocide. The Tutsi rebels, RPF, seek revenge and fought with Canadian General Romeo Dallaire’s full support. The RPF succeeded after 100 days of killings, on July …show more content…
18, 1994, the war came to an end leaving approximately 800,000 people dead.
b.) Critical Question What was the role of President Habyarimana and the group he raised in the genocide and the Hutu conformity?
c.) Research Analysis Evidences from different investigations about the genocide proved that the murder of more than 800,000 people in just three months was not just a simple “tribal civil war”, but was rather a sophisticated “final solution” that was years in planning.
One of the most shocking pieces of evidence came from a Hutu soldier who confessed his role in the “death squad”, killing thousands of Tutsis. He said that the death squad leaders are people trained to kill without leaving a trace, he also said that these people were President Habyarimana’s clan. The killings that led to genocide were carried out by a special force called “Interahamwe”. Intherahamwe was raised by President Habyarimana, this group was made up of 8,000 armed Hutu extremists. A UN report conducted several years after the genocide showed that the President had used millions of dollars in international aid to stockpile thousands of machetes, axes, clubs, guns and many other weapons used in the killings. According to an investigation, Interahamwe also practiced massacres to train for the genocide, this was proved by the records of slaughtering more than a year ago before the actual genocide. The genocide was planned by a shadowy group working in the President’s Palace, this group was known as “Network Zero”. Habyarimana and the Network Zero’s plan was supported by thousands of presidential guards and police officers. Their plan was so influential that even the army and the service council participated in the
killings. However, these plans and evidences stayed hidden during Habyarimana’s leadership. The president signed the “Arusha Accords” that let the Tutsis join in the government, he used this compliance so that the innocent people would not know that it was him behind all the killings. Habyarimana died on April 6, 1994, but his death didn’t leave Rwanda in peace, rather it seemed to be the signal to start the genocide he has been planning for years. Habyarimana’s plan and the group he raised went on after he died, killing thousands of Tutsis including the Hutus who were willing to tolerate Tutsis. Not all the Hutus were in favour of killing Tutsis, some of them were forced to slaughter. During the genocide, a people’s role was based on their identification. Meaning Hutus are to kill, and Tutsis are to be killed. Some Hutus just didn’t have choice but to participate killing the Tutsis, or else they would be slaughtered instead. These consequences and their reference group’s identification led the Hutus to conformity.
d.) Synthesis
President Habyarimana was the one who supported and planned the genocide, he even spent millions of dollars to make sure that the genocide is really going to happen. He left informational influences that made Hutus think and consider Tutsis as their “out-group”. After he died, the group he raised continued the plans they have been planning for.
They were so influential so that the Hutus had no choice but conformity. Knowing that the Hutus make up 85 per cent of the population, their group size increased conformity and they became more influential.