Genocide In Rwanda
...colonized by Germans for a short period, and then by Belgians.
- Ethnicity: there are two major ethnic groups in Rwanda. Hutu represented about 80-85% of total population before the genocide and about 90% of population after the genocide. Respectively, the Tutsi representaion in the total population has declined from about 14% to 8%. There is another minority group Twa which only makes up 1% of the population in Rwanda.
However, it is difficult to estimate the total Rwandese population as well as the percentage of Tutsi and Hutu because of the constant refugee flaw. For instance, approximately 1 000 000 Tutsi fled from the country in 1959, and 2 000 000 Hutu did so after the genocide.
- After the Belgians left the country, Hutu have overthrown the Tutsi power and have established one-party rule that lasted for over two decades before the genocide.
The President Habyarimana was constantly challenged by the civil war led by the RPF (Rwanda Patriotic Front). Hence, in 1993 the Arusha (Tanzania) accord was achieved which would allow a multi-party government and according to which the President would step from the power.
2. GENOCIDE
According to the 1948 Convention for the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide: genocide is qualified as "the act of committing certain crimes, including the killing of members of the group or causing serious physical or mental harm to members of the group with the intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, racial or religious group, as such".
3. WHAT HAPPENED?
In ten weeks more than 800 000 Tutsi and moderate Hutu civilians were brutally slaughtered.
4. ROOTS
It appears that the colonization "experience" was the major cause for the genocide:
- Before the colonization Tutsis were mainly elite aristocracy, but there were no major ethnic tensions between the two groups
- However, Belgians granted...
View Full Essay
