Rwanda Genocide Rolando Torres 1-2A 5/19/15

Who was Involved? There was two major ethnic groups in Rwanda. They were the Hutu’s and the Tutsi’s. A third group called the Twa, consisted of less than 1 percent of the population. Relations between these two groups eventually led to mass killings. It is estimated that some 200,000 Hutu participated in the genocide Some were unwilling and consequently forced to participate by the army and Hutu militia groups.

What Occurred? One of the worst incidents of genocide in history occurred. Hutu extremist killed almost a million Tutsi’s and moderate Hutu’s. This genocide may have lasted a while, but 2,000,000 Rwandans were able to flee the country.

When did it Happen? The Rwandan genocide began on April 6 and ended on July of 1994. The mass murder lasted for about 100 days. July 18 is one of the days cited as the ending of the genocide. July 19 was another.

Where? The mass killings occurred in an area that is known as Rwanda. It was initially settled by the Twa, and followed by the Hutu, and then by the Tutsi. Rwanda is located South of the equator in east-central Africa. The capital of Rwanda is Kigali, which is where the plane was shot down.

Why did the genocide occur? A plane with Habyarimana(President) and Burundian President Crprien Ntaryamira was shot down over Kigali. Everyone on board was killed. Even though the people or group who caused the plane to go down were never found, the Hutu extremist were thought to be responsible of the crime. (A report issued by the Rwandan FPR(Front Patriotique Rwandis) -led government in 2010 indicated that Hutu extremists were responsible.) BEFORE

Why did the genocide occur? Organized killings of Tutsi’s and moderate Hutu’s began that night by the Hutu extremist. Prime Minister Agathe Uwilingiyima, who was a moderate Hutu, was assassinated. 10 Belgium soldiers from the UN who were guarding her were also killed. The few months later mass killings began to happen. After

Differences between Tutsi’s and Hutu’s Tutsi’s made their living by owning and dealing with cattle. The Tutsi’s obtained dominance over the Hutu’s through a slow and peaceful infiltration. Hutu life centered on a small-scale agriculture, and social organization was based on the clan, with kings ruling over limited domains. Primarily Agriculturalist Hutu’s began to expel most Tutsi’s after taking over the government.

Differences between Tutsi’s and Hutu’s The Hutu, traditionally farmers The Tutsi, traditionally cattle-owning pastoralists Twa, are hunters and potters Tutsi were generally light-skinned and tall, the Hutu were dark-skinned and short It was not always easy to tell the difference between the two groups because of the intermarriage and the common language by both groups.

Relation to the Holocaust This genocide in Rwanda is similar to the Holocaust because it involved the killing of large amounts of people. During the Holocaust Nazi’s began to kill and exterminate all Jews that were found. About six million Jewish men, women, and children were killed. In Rwanda 800,000 civilians, primarily Tutsi were killed. Both the Holocaust and the Rwandan genocide involved the killing of a group of people.

When the genocide ended, the country of Rwanda faced years of recovery. The primary focus was to find those responsible for the genocidal acts. Promoting national unity and rebuilding the country’s economy was another focus. Recovery was not easy since the President and Vice-President was shot and a new one was needed. The FPR were successful in securing most of the country by early July, taking Kigali on July 4. Extremist Hutu leaders, including those of the interim government, fled the country. Aftermath

What I learned Genocide should be taken seriously. Trying to stop a genocide should be the primary focus. Other country’s could have helped with this but instead they ignored it. Innocent people were being killed and no one was there trying to stop it.

Bibliography Information Pictures "Rwanda genocide of 1994." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web. 19 May. 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/488664>. "Rwanda." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web. 19 May. 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/108333>. "Tutsi." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web. 19 May. 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/73906>. "Rwanda." Britannica School. Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc., 2015. Web. 19 May. 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/105487>. Pictures Map of Rwanda. Digital image. Ebsco. N.p., n.d. Web. <http://search.ebscohost.com/login.aspx?direct=true&db=imh&AN=imh1289110&site=src-live>. Chacon, Scott. "Ntarama Genocide Memorial." Britannica School. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/488664/media?assemblyId=154726>. "Rwanda Genocide of 1994: Genocide Suspect Standing Trial." Britannica School. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://school.eb.com/levels/high/article/488664/media?assemblyId=154726>. "Finding Zaid." Finding Zaid. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://whereiszaid.blogspot.com/>. "Preparing for Genocide." Leading up to the Genocide,speeches Became Increasingly Fanatical. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 May 2015. <http://www.rwandanstories.org/origins/preparing_for_genocide.html>.