Ethnic Cleansing
Pain, suffering, murder, and hate are the catalysts that formulate genocide; in Rwanda, this was the case. 800,000 Rwandans were killed in the Rwandan genocide that began in 1959. Although the genocide seemed to happen out of nowhere, previous conflicts helped contribute to death of thousands of Rwandans. Ultimately, the colonization of Rwanda by Belgians, led to the separation of Hutus and Tutsis identifying them as two separate racial groups, which sparked the tribes to fight over the control of the government.
Colonization of Belgium
Before the Belgians arrived, the Hutus and Tutsis lived by a contract called the ubahaka. This contract allowed the Tutsi to have control over the land and cattle while the Hutus offered military …show more content…
In 1973 Major General Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, gained control over the government. (“The Rwandan Genocide”) For the next twenty years the National Revolutionary Movement for Development (NRMD) was founded. Habyarimana was notified to end his control, which caused him to lose popularity. However he still wanted to maintain his position. (White) Many years later while the Tutsis were exiled an opposition against the Hutu government had formed. This group was the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). (“Rwanda: How the genocide happened”) The RPF wanted to peacefully make negotiations with the government to help reestablish the Tutsis presence in Rwanda. However the Hutus declined this offer and the RPF decided there were no other ways to obtain their goal but through physical …show more content…
There are eight stages that classify a conflict as genocide. According to Dr. Gregory Stanton the stages are classification, symbolization, dehumanization, organization, polarization, preparation, extermination, and denial. The main stages in the Rwandan genocide were classification, polarization, preparation, dehumanization, and extermination. To help prevent harsh tensions the government stopped the names of the Rwandans. The most important way for people in power or the U.N. can stop genocide is by being more involved and to isolate the problem first hand. The Rwandan genocide originated from Belgium’s control, due to them placing the Tutsi in power instead of the Hutus. This proves that colonization and unequal social statuses can lead to the mass murder of an entire race. Instead of seeing the death of hundreds and thousands as an answer, nothing was achieved. The racial mixings before colonization evolved into racial segregation. The importance of education on topics such as these will allow society understand the effects genocide
Pain, suffering, murder, and hate are the catalysts that formulate genocide; in Rwanda, this was the case. 800,000 Rwandans were killed in the Rwandan genocide that began in 1959. Although the genocide seemed to happen out of nowhere, previous conflicts helped contribute to death of thousands of Rwandans. Ultimately, the colonization of Rwanda by Belgians, led to the separation of Hutus and Tutsis identifying them as two separate racial groups, which sparked the tribes to fight over the control of the government.
Colonization of Belgium
Before the Belgians arrived, the Hutus and Tutsis lived by a contract called the ubahaka. This contract allowed the Tutsi to have control over the land and cattle while the Hutus offered military …show more content…
In 1973 Major General Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, gained control over the government. (“The Rwandan Genocide”) For the next twenty years the National Revolutionary Movement for Development (NRMD) was founded. Habyarimana was notified to end his control, which caused him to lose popularity. However he still wanted to maintain his position. (White) Many years later while the Tutsis were exiled an opposition against the Hutu government had formed. This group was the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). (“Rwanda: How the genocide happened”) The RPF wanted to peacefully make negotiations with the government to help reestablish the Tutsis presence in Rwanda. However the Hutus declined this offer and the RPF decided there were no other ways to obtain their goal but through physical …show more content…
There are eight stages that classify a conflict as genocide. According to Dr. Gregory Stanton the stages are classification, symbolization, dehumanization, organization, polarization, preparation, extermination, and denial. The main stages in the Rwandan genocide were classification, polarization, preparation, dehumanization, and extermination. To help prevent harsh tensions the government stopped the names of the Rwandans. The most important way for people in power or the U.N. can stop genocide is by being more involved and to isolate the problem first hand. The Rwandan genocide originated from Belgium’s control, due to them placing the Tutsi in power instead of the Hutus. This proves that colonization and unequal social statuses can lead to the mass murder of an entire race. Instead of seeing the death of hundreds and thousands as an answer, nothing was achieved. The racial mixings before colonization evolved into racial segregation. The importance of education on topics such as these will allow society understand the effects genocide