The Rwandan Genocide: What it was and what it means now

       Although genocide is no new concept, the Rwandan genocide in 1994 was a major turning point in the history of both Africa and the world.  It is the largest modern genocide in Africa, with a staggering death toll of an estimated 800,000 lives.[1] However, even with this staggering number of lost lives, Rwanda has managed to make an extraordinary recovery from this time of violence and hatred. The story of Rwanda is not just one of horror and violence, but one of how things can always become better, no matter how hopeless the situation may seem. 

       The early history of Rwanda cannot be described as anything less than tragic. Even before the genocide began, there had been a long history of tension between the two major ethnic groups of Rwanda. These two groups are the Hutus and the Tutsis. Rwanda had been ruled at one point by the Tutsis.[2] The Tutsis had ruled over Rwanda brutally and abused the Hutus. This caused the Hutus to both fear and resent their previous oppressors.[3] When President Habyarimana’s airplane was shot down, the Hutus, believing that it was done by Tutsis, used this as a reason to finally revolt and get their revenge on the Tutsis.[4] They accused the Tutsis of shooting down the president’s plane, and proceeded to take action against them. The abuse and killing of the Tutsi people went on for a period of 100 days.[5] In this short period of time, between 250,000 and 500,000 Rwandese women were brutally raped and around 800,000 Tutsi people were murdered.[6]

 

       One of the largest group killings of Tutsi people was in the Nyarubuye church. The church had been believed to be a refuge and a place to get away from the violence.[7] However, this belief was soon proven wrong. The Mayor gave orders for all of the people in the church to be murdered. Hutus came in and killed, beat, and raped the Tutsi people in the church. The death toll of this incident added up to around 10,000 Tutsi lives.[8] The Mayor was charged with 30 years in prison for being a factor in the genocide.[9]

Nyarubuye church

       However, not all of the Tutsi people were killed. The RPF was a group of Tutsi refugees who were attempting to make Rwanda a safer place so that they could return there.[10] On May 22, 1994, after previous failed attempts at creating a “power-sharing government”, the RPF manages to gain control of the northern and eastern parts of Rwanda.[11][12] On July 18, 1994, the RPF “announces that the war is over, declares a cease-fire and names Pastor Bizimungu as president with Faustin Twagiramungu as prime minister.”[13]

       During the civil war in Rwanda, the UN had formed the “United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda”. The UNAMIR’s goal was to “aid the peace process between the Hutu-dominated Rwandese government and the Tutsi-dominated rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF).”[14] However, they had troubles in getting troops to Rwanda to help in stopping the genocide. There was not a lot of effort put into getting the troops there. At the time, it hadn’t seemed quite so important, but later, Clinton later said that “he believed that if he had sent 5,000 U.S. peacekeepers, more than 500,000 lives could have been saved.”[15] Belgium cut down its troops in Rwanda to only 250 after 10 Belgium soldiers were murdered while stationed in Rwanda.[16] By April 21, there were only 270 UN troops in total that remained in Rwanda.[17] If these numbers had not been so low, so many more lives could have been saved.

       In spite of its devastating history, Rwanda has come an extraordinarily long way since the genocide ended. There have been major changes for the better ever since the Rwandan Genocide ended. The president of Rwanda is currently Paul Kagame; a Tutsi and leader of the RPF. Kagame held a “National Unity and Reconciliation Commission”.[18] This was an attempt to bring Rwandan people of all different backgrounds together in order to discuss what went wrong and what can be done to prevent these things from happening again.[19] Today, Rwanda is recognized as “one of the safest countries in the world. The city of Kigali is the first city in Africa to receive the prestigious Habitat Scroll of Honor Award in recognition of its cleanliness, peacefulness and security.”[20] Rwanda has now become a major tourist site for its “rich biodiversity, stunning natural beauty and excellent climate.”[21] This dramatic change has given many people hope. It shows that even through the worst of times, good things can still come from it and things can always get better, no matter how hopeless the situation may seem.

Paul Kagame

 

       Rwanda has improved not only socially, but economically as well. After implementing the “Crop Intensification Program”, Rwanda’s economy has grown dramatically.[22] They’ve become self-sufficient in growing crops, as well as having a better economy through being able to grow their own crops. This has decreased poverty in Rwanda, as well as helped the people of Rwanda to live better lives.[23] According to Paul Kagame’s website, “The real GDP growth [in Rwanda] increased from 2.2% in 2003 to 7.2% in 2010 with a peak growth of 11.5% in 2008. Overall, the average growth rate has been 7%.”[24]

       Rwanda has improved in so many ways since the genocide in 1994. It has completely ridded itself of violence, so much so that it has become a common tourist attraction, as well as increasing its economy so much that it has become the 9^th easiest place in the world to start a business.[25] Rwanda is proof that no matter how bad a situation or circumstance may seem, things can always get better. It seemed during the genocide that there was simply no hope for Rwanda. People had completely given up hope. However, Rwanda managed to make a complete comeback from that time. The scars of the genocide will never truly fade, but Rwanda has proved to the world that there is still always hope. There is no longer prominent violence and the conflict between the Hutus and Tutsis has ended. There is always hope.

---

[1] http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide_in_rwanda.htm

[2] http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide_in_rwanda.htm

[3] http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide_in_rwanda.htm

[4] http://www.unitedhumanrights.org/genocide/genocide_in_rwanda.htm

[5] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3580247.stm

[6] http://www.breakingperceptions.com/about-the-rwandan-genocide/

[7] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/3582267.stm

[8] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/3582267.stm

[9] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/panorama/3582267.stm

[10] http://rwandanhistory.blogspot.com/2007/02/rwandan-patriotic-front_18.html

[11] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3580247.stm

[12] http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/rwanda/etc/cron.html

[13] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3580247.stm

[14] teacher.ocps.net/daniel.tringali/media/hotelrwandabackground.doc

[15] http://www.breakingperceptions.com/about-the-rwandan-genocide/

[16] http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/shows/rwanda/etc/cron.html

[17] http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/africa/3580247.stm

[18] http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2072601,00.html

[19] http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,2072601,00.html

[20]http://www.paulkagame.com/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=64&lang=en

[21]http://www.paulkagame.com/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=64&lang=en

[22]http://www.paulkagame.com/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=64&lang=en

[23]http://www.paulkagame.com/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=64&lang=en

[24]http://www.paulkagame.com/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=64&lang=en

[25]http://www.paulkagame.com/2010/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=51&Itemid=64&lang=en