Rwanda Genocide Film Analysis

In 1994, Rwanda’s population of seven million was comprised of approximately 85% Hutu, 14% Tutsi, and 1% Twa. During one hundred days beginning in April of 1994, almost one million Tutsi and moderate Hutu’s were murdered by the Hutu government and its allies. For centuries, the Hutu’s, Tutsi’s, and Twa’s lived together well and shared the same language, culture, and religion. Prior to its independence in 1962, Rwanda was a Belgian colony. In 1916, Belgium established racial classification in Rwanda, putting the Tutsi’s above the Hutu’s causing resentment by the Hutu majority. As seen throughout history, conquest has created greed, arrogance, and prejudice. In 1959, the Belgians gave Rwanda over to the Hutu majority, and the anti-Tutsi exploitation …show more content…
The devastation and mass killings by the Hutu’s did not get the world intervention it needed to help stop the killings. The 2005 HBO film, Sometimes in April, gives an account of the Rwandan Genocide through the experiences of two brothers and gives the audience an overview of how and why it occurred. On April 6 1994, a plane that was carrying the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, was shot down. Hutu extremists blamed the RPF, a Tutsi rebel group. The RPF claim this provided the excuse for the Hutu’s to begin the genocide they were planning. There were lists already prepared of Tutsi’s to be killed, and ID cards easily identified people of their ethnic group. In addition, thousands of Tutsi women were taken away and kept as sex slaves. Roadblocks were set up throughout the country to kill the fleeing Tutsi population. Radio stations called for the slaughter and even read off names of Tutsi’s to be killed. The radio stations and newspapers were used as propaganda to promote and hype the killings of Tutsi’s, as well as moderate Hutu’s who opposed the killing