Rwanda Genocide.

            The Rwanda Genocide occurred between April and June of 1944 and is defined as the systematic massacre of 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus in less than 100 days. Disagreements between the majority Hutus and the minority Tutsis were common was well as general ethnic tension. Despite the fighting, the two groups share many similarities including speaking the same language, inhabiting the same areas, and following the same traditions. The genocide was sparked on April 6, 1994 when a plane carrying Rwanda’s president was shot down and expected to be an extremist. All Hutu civilians were told by radio and word of mouth that it was their duty to wipe the Tutsis population out as a retaliation of killing their president.

            Hutu civilians did what they were told and killed any Tutsis they saw under the command of their first elected president, Gregoire Kayibanda.  Hutu power forces mobilized militia to carry out the mass killings; anyone who opposed was instantly shot. Agathe Uwilingiyimana was the only female prime minister and when she disagreed with the idea of genocide, she was shot dead. No person or state intervened with the murders because of an essential lack of interest and in some situations, a fear of what could happen to anyone who did speak up.

            The killings were organized by military officials, politicians, and businessman who dispatched recruits all over the country to carry out the slaughter. The militia group was called the Interahamwe and it consisted of about 30,000 strong people. Soldiers and police officers encouraged citizens to take part and Hutu civilians were forced to murder even their own neighbors and friends. Participants were told they would receive money, food, or even the land of the Tutsis they killed if they agreed to help. It is estimated that some 200,000 people participated in the penetration of the Rwanda Genocide and thousands of Hutu were murdered for opposing the killings

            All Tutsis and anyone suspected to be were killed in their own homes and not allowed to flee because of the roadblocks set up around the country. Entire families were killed at a time and women were brutally raped and murdered with no remorse. The Rwandan Genocide resulted from the promotion of hatred and fear. Setting the majority against the minority was originally supposed to counter a growing political opposition in Rwanda, but instead the strategy of ethnic division was transformed into genocide.

Hutu people believed the extermination would reinstate the solidarity of their people under the leadership and help them either win the war or improve their chances of negotiating a favorable peace. Approval by authority was the reason they were able to seize control of the state and carry out a massacre. Finally when the government collapsed, an estimated two million Hutus fled to Zaire because of their implications in the massacre. Years of conflict in Rwanda resulted from the killings and currently Rwanda’s government is led by Tutsis. Even to this day, the Tutsis want to wipe out Hutu forces because of their everlasting grudge and the fighting still continues now at a lesser extent.

Works Cited.

"United Human Rights Council." The United Human Rights Council. The United Human Rights Council. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. <http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide_in_rwanda.htm>.

"Rwanda: The Wake of a Genocide." Rwanda: The Wake of a Genocide. Web. 01 Mar. 2012. <http://www.rwanda-genocide.org/>.

"Rwanda: How the Genocide Happened." BBC News. BBC, 18 Dec. 2008. Web. 02 Mar. 2012. <http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/1288230.stm>.

"Rwandan Genocide." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, 03 Feb. 2012. Web. 02 Mar. 2012. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide>.

"GENOCIDE - RWANDA." Peace Pledge Union. Peace Pledge Union. Web. 02 Mar. 2012. <http://www.ppu.org.uk/genocide/g_rwanda.html>.