Tensions In Rwanda

In 1994 over 800,000 people were killed in under one hundred days in the small African country of Rwanda. The genocide was the outburst of decades of tensions. Originally Rwanda was made up mostly of two classes, the Hutus, peasant farmers that made up about ninety-percent of the population, and the Tutsis, cattle owners that made up around nine percent of the population. When Europeans first came to Rwanda the Tutsis became the moderators between them and the other Rwandans. The European favoritism was largely due to both the Tutsis land ownership and their “more civilized” appearance. Till 1962, Rwanda was a Belgian colony where the Tutsis were privileged and the Hutus were oppressed. When the Hutus took control of Rwanda they began planning their retribution. Eventually these tensions exploded into a nationwide genocide. The horrific actions of the Rwandan people during the hundred days of slaughter was heinous in every way and the international response being morally atrocious similarly to the actions of the Rwandans.
The genocide was the result of decades of discrimination, oppression, and tension between the Tutsis and Hutus of Rwanda. Originally Hutus and Tutsis were “mostly defined by class and clan, not ethnicity”(History.com). The Tutsis ownership of land and cattle allowed …show more content…
After the genocide ended, leaders and important figures that participated in the genocide witnessed the gruesome events that occurred. Only then did many nations and leaders realize that much more could've been done to prevent the genocide or at the least aid the people. These national forces either came up with excuses as to why the circumstances could not have been helped or they were underestimated. Despite such tragedies that the genocide carried, one can learn from the genocide to ensure that such unspeakable horrors are not repeated again or forgotten