Rwandan Genocide

Social
1. Social Difference between Hutu and Tutsi initially profound
  1. Tutsi: strong pastoralist tradition, gained social, economic, and political ascendancy over the Hutu
    1. Now well integrated but cultural difference between ethnic groups remains
  2. Hutu: primarily agriculturalists
Leaders
1. Juvénal Habyarimana
  1. Juvénal Habyarimana, President of Rwanda, was killed on April 6th 1994, when his plane was shot down just outside Kigali (capital of Rwanda).
    1. President Habyarimana had ruled Rwanda by himself for almost 20 years (since the 1973 coup) and was an ex army officer. He was the leader of the National Republican Movement for Democracy and Development, the sole leader of a single-party state.
    2. It has been stated that the entire Genocide had been pre-planned by President Habyarimana and a small clique of government officials.
2. Théoneste Bagosora
  1. Col. Théoneste Bagosora was proved to have played an enormous part in organising the geonicde, and was the person responsible for the formation of the extremist Hutu interim government.
    1. In 1997, he first appeared before the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania, to face thirteen counts of eleven different international crimes, based on the laws of genocide, crimes against humanity, and war crimes.
    2. Upon the interference of Tutsi army in response to the genocide, Bagosora fled into neighbouring Zaire. "Fed and protected in refugee camps supported by millions of dollars in international aid, the Hutu Power leaders were able to hold regular planning meetings and to recruit new members."[10] With Bagosora actively involved, they rebuilt their military structures with the purpose of wiping out the Tutsi population.
Ideologies
1. Racial supremacy
  1. Genocide was a day of vengeance for Hutu's who did not agree with the new share of power with Tutsi's
    2. During Genocide radio stations, newspapers, public speeches (by those closest to Habyarimana) that the Tusti's were going to turn them into "beasts of the field". if they were allowed to share power
  2. Hutu Extremist produced set of 10 commandments on how people should treat their Tutsi neighbours
  3. Privately owned newspapers, journalists, radio stations, etc. were all used to promote Tutsi hate propaganda, the main message being conveyed was 'the Tutsi need to be killed'.
  4. Hate and marginalisation of the Tutsi people allowed for an atmosphere where killing and mass murder was acceptable.
Movements
1. Hutu militia
  1. Very active, those who didn't join might be considered traitors and as such a target
  2. Interhamwe - 'those who attack together
  3. Impuzamugambi - 'Those who have the same goal
  4. RAF - Rwandan Armed Forces
2. RPF - Rwandan Patriotic Front
3. RPA - Rwandan Patriotic Army
  1. Group composed mainly of Tutsi rebels, attempts to end killings the whole way through the Genocide.
    1. Secured Kigali, set up interim government, effectively ended genocide
Cultural
1. Ethnic Tensions
  1. Hutu vs. Tutsi
    1. Rwanda (before colonisation) was ruled by a Tutsi Aristocracy
    3. Hutu population > 4/5 of total population. Tutsi population = 1/7
Political
1. Pre-Genocide
  1. Government contained only Hutu's
    1. pre 1990, there was only one party
2. Post-Genocide
  1. required mixture of Tutsi and Hutu government
    1. New constitution aimed at preventing further ethnic strife within Rwanda
      1. National symbols and anthems associated with Hutu extremists were changed
3. United Nations
  1. Pre-Genocide
    1. Peace keeping force in Rwanda.
      1. by official mandate, they cannot intervene but must try to keep peace without force
  2. Post-Genocide
    1. ICTR (International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda
      1. First tribunal to formally recognise sexual violence as a war crime
      2. Did not impose death penalty
      3. incapable of processing war criminals fast enough so many were released and then re-captured
    2. Countries apologised for lack of intervention and or help
    3. US commits money and resources to help rebuild Rwanda
    4. An administrative group to improve system for identifying nations at risk and prevention of genocide
    5. Talks within UN of establishing permanent criminal court

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