The Rwandan Raze The Rwandan genocide was like a firecracker, fast, explosive, and over in a flash. “Most of the killing was carried out by two Hutu radical militant groups: the Interahamwe and the Impuzamugambi,(“Rwandan genocide”)” supported by the Rwandan government. Though it lasted only 100 days, 800,000 people were killed, causing this event to be classified as a full scale genocide, a genocide being when one group of people, targets and kills mass amounts of people from another, ethnic, racial, or political group. (“What is genocide”)500,000 of the lives lost were ethnic Tutsis, and the remaining were Tutsi supporters, such as moderate Hutus, and another ethnic group, the Twa. The country containing this tragedy was Rwanda, a small
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The Tutsis employed the Hutus in exchange for cattle, akin to the feudal system in Europe. This distance was further stretched when Belgium occupied Rwanda, supporting the Tutsis, and supplying them with support, as “Allowing the existing Tutsi monarchs to exhibit control over the Hutus proved immediately effective, allowing for colonization without a large force of European troops.(“What impact did...”)” After WW2 however, much of Europe’s population turned to a more democratic government system, and Belgium along with it. Along with this change, Belgium ceased to support the Tutsi rule, and supported a Hutu revolt, resulting in a civil war that ended with the Hutus on top. (“What impact did...”) This led to many Tutsis fleeing Rwanda in fear. However, in December of 1987 the Rwandan Republic Front(RPF) was formed by “Tutsi nationalist exiles who demanded the right to return to their homeland as citizens.(“Rwandan Genocide”)” The RPF demanded “an end to social discrimination against the Tutsi in Rwanda.(“Rwandan Genocide”)” began to invade Rwanda from the neighboring country of Uganda, flooding Rwanda and refueling the hate of Tutsis in Rwanda. (“Rwandan Genocide”) This aggression, combined with president Juvenal Habyarimana being shot out of the sky began the 100 day long Rwandan genocide. (“Rwanda: How…”) This event followed many of the Eight Stages of Genocide, namely laid out by Gregory H. Stanton, keeping in line with past and future
The Tutsis employed the Hutus in exchange for cattle, akin to the feudal system in Europe. This distance was further stretched when Belgium occupied Rwanda, supporting the Tutsis, and supplying them with support, as “Allowing the existing Tutsi monarchs to exhibit control over the Hutus proved immediately effective, allowing for colonization without a large force of European troops.(“What impact did...”)” After WW2 however, much of Europe’s population turned to a more democratic government system, and Belgium along with it. Along with this change, Belgium ceased to support the Tutsi rule, and supported a Hutu revolt, resulting in a civil war that ended with the Hutus on top. (“What impact did...”) This led to many Tutsis fleeing Rwanda in fear. However, in December of 1987 the Rwandan Republic Front(RPF) was formed by “Tutsi nationalist exiles who demanded the right to return to their homeland as citizens.(“Rwandan Genocide”)” The RPF demanded “an end to social discrimination against the Tutsi in Rwanda.(“Rwandan Genocide”)” began to invade Rwanda from the neighboring country of Uganda, flooding Rwanda and refueling the hate of Tutsis in Rwanda. (“Rwandan Genocide”) This aggression, combined with president Juvenal Habyarimana being shot out of the sky began the 100 day long Rwandan genocide. (“Rwanda: How…”) This event followed many of the Eight Stages of Genocide, namely laid out by Gregory H. Stanton, keeping in line with past and future