Rwanda & Darfur

 What might be some reasons why genocide has occurred in Africa?

 Genocide is not unique to Africa but is a problem that persists even to this day.  Genocide in Africa typically occurs over issues of religion or ethnicity.  Africa has seen several genocides in the last 20 years in Sudan, Democratic Rep. of Congo, Somalia, Rwanda and Ethiopia.

 Two of the worst were/ are in Sudan and Rwanda  Genocide in Africa has been abundant for two reasons: hundreds of ethnic groups that live close to each other lack of strong government since the withdraw of the colonial powers

 Rwanda is a tiny African nation in the heart of the Congo in central Africa.

 There were two major ethnic groups in Rwanda.  Hutus’ vs. Tutsi’s: The Tutsi made up only about 14% of the population but were part of the ruling class when Belgium ruled the country.  The Hutu were a majority but were oppressed under Belgian rule.

 The Rwandan genocide started in 1994 when President Jevenal Habyarimana’s plane was shot down by most likely by a Hutu group, who then blamed the ethnic group the Tutsis.

 Most of the Tutsi’s that were killed in the Rwandan genocide were hacked to death by machetes.

 When the blood shed was over, hundreds of thousands of people were dead and thousands more displaced. Mass graves were discovered and the remains gathered.

 Thousands of people were hacked to death and the bodies were just left behind creating mass graves.

 800,000: the number estimated to be killed by the Hutu during the genocide in Rwanda. It only lasted a few months.  So many people were murdered because the government armed a militia that killed unarmed civilians.  Many around the world including the U.N. and President Clinton would not acknowledge the atrocities as genocide and therefore would not intervene.

 Many men remain wanted by international authorities for the Rwandan genocide.

 The region of Darfur is mainly the southwestern part of the nation of Sudan in central Africa.

 The genocide in Darfur has been led by President Omar al- Bashir trying to eliminate the non Muslim population in Sudan.

 Attacks by the Muslim government on the Christian civilian population of Sudan have resulted in people being shot, hacked to death and burned alive.

 While the people of Sudan have been attacked by their own government, there are armed resistance groups trying to stop the genocide such as the N.R.F.

 One of the side effects of the genocide in Darfur is the mass exodus out of Sudan. Make shift towns likes these are made to house the 2 million or so refugees that have tried to flee the country.

 Because there has been little attention to the genocide in Darfur, actors like George Clooney use their fame to be very out spoken about stopping the genocide.

 The genocide has been masked by the ongoing civil war in Sudan with little help coming from outside of Africa.  People around the world have asked whose responsibility it is to stop the genocide.  A poll taken said that the U.S. & China should step in and help.

 In 2011 South Sudan won its independence from Sudan to form its own nation.  Unfortunately it has not ended the violence in the region.  Today the two countries continue to fight.  To date about 500,000 have died in Sudan.

 Why has genocide occurred in Africa?  Why don’t we hear about genocide in Africa?  How have the actions of Europeans aided in the advancement of genocide in Africa?