Rwandan Genocide Essay

Brandt & Menkel 1
Bradley Brandt & Sean Menkel

Mrs. Smith
English Honors II
22 March, 2016
The Genocide the World Forgot
What good is the United Nations when it ignores the nations it is supposed to protect? It
was created as an organization of peace, and to help any country with conflicts it would have.
These conflicts they are supposed to intervene in include ethnic tensions or disputes. The small
African country of Rwanda definitely fell victim to these complications, as two ethnic tribes, the
Hutus and the Tutsi, raged war against each other over various reasons. This war included the
most horrific genocide since The Holocaust, but the genocide was already over by the time
anybody cared to step in and help. Political instability in Rwanda created the perfect situation for
this horrible genocide to occur because of ethnic conflict between the Hutu and the Tutsi, and as
a result, created horrible consequences when it finished.
When one studies history it is clear that war is never initiated by one single event, but it is
a chain of events usually culminating in death or hurt. After World War 1 ended, the League of
Nations appointed Rwanda to be a colony of Belgium. Tensions commenced when Belgium
favored the Tutsi minority over the Hutu, magnifying the practice of the few ruling the
many (The Rwandan Genocide 2). This is one of the bigger factors in the Hutu uprising that had
been building for decades. All the Hutu needed was a spark to begin their uprising and
consequently, the genocide. The civil war in Rwanda started for several reasons and it is
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important to understand them to comprehend motives for the genocide. Rwandan Tutsi exiles
formed a group initialed RPF, and launched an attack on Rwanda from their home base of
Uganda. Many of the RPF had been in Uganda for generations after running from previous
conflicts. The Tutsi blamed the Rwandan government for not addressing the exiles that made up
the RPF, and they saw the Tutsi in Rwanda as accomplices and the Hutu as traitors (French 42).
Evidently these Tutsi resented the opposing group, and this hostility developed into war, and then
a massacre. These tensions were never quite settled, even after the war was over. This proves
these tensions would not be settled easily, and they would eventually boil over into war and the
genocide.
Although the war was somewhat preventable, the genocide became an inevitable event
that, although short, was horrendous in nature. Habyarimanas plane was shot down en route.
The circumstances surrounding the assassination remain unclear, but the death of Rwanda's
dictator served as a stick of dynamite to a powder keg. They used Habyarimana's death as an
excuse to mount a no-holds-barred offensive against the Tutsi (Browne 232). Habyarimana, a
Hutu, was on a plane when it was shot down, and they blamed the Tutsis. This is arguably the
most direct cause of the war. The sheer terrifying truth behind what happened in this genocide
can only be hoped to be envisioned. 66.6% of men and 33.4% of women died during the
genocide. 90% of Tutsis died, while 10% of other tribes were killed as well (Cruden 62). The
majority of the killings being Tutsi men, and it shows just how much the Hutu were determined
to eliminate the Tutsis. Radio was also used to dehumanize Tutsis by calling them
cockroaches, making acts of violence against them seem less inhumane (French 52). The
violence inflicted on the Tutsi became normal for their Hutu aggressors, the radio and their peers
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told them what they were doing was right and spurred them on, much like The Holocaust and
Hitler dehumanizing the Jews to make killing easier. It was only after the genocide ended that
peoples eyes were open to its horrifying truths, and it marked Rwandas long road back to
normalcy and regaining the trust of its own people.
The genocide ended with a staggering amount of killings, and the aftermath was no walk
in the park either. Hutu soldiers and others involved in the genocide fled the RPF advance,
forcing a large part of the Hutu population to flee with them into neighboring Zaire. Tens of
thousands died of disease in unsanitary camps (Rwandan History 5). Effects of this genocide are
unbelievable when one learns of the large amount of killings, up to 800,000 were slaughtering in
their homes. Those who tried to escape were killed, and those who attempted to resist were
killed.. The RPF victory created 2 million more refugees from Rwanda, exacerbating what had
already become a full-blown humanitarian crisis (The Rwandan Genocide 1). The genocide, and
the RPF, was responsible for thousands upon thousands of refugees, and was the fountainhead of
the crisis. As survivors of the genocide recounted their memories of the killings and of survival,
several people were overcome with grief, screaming and crying uncontrollably (The Rwandan
Genocide). The family members of the victims are overcome with extreme sadness and loss as
they remember their loved ones. This genocide opened the eyes of millions to atrocities not so far
from home, and the people of Rwanda will never forget this horrible episode in their nations
history.
The Rwandan genocide will be an event not only Rwandans will remember for centuries
to come, but the world. As growing tensions built for centuries, and as political instability grew,
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it created the perfect formula for the genocide to happen. One can hope when people will learn
from this happening, humans as a species can learn to live together and not against one another.
Works Cited
Browne, Dallas L. "Rwanda and Burundi: Culture, History, Power, and Genocide."
History Behind the Headlines: The Origins of Conflicts Worldwide. Ed. Sonia G. Benson,
Nancy Matuszak, and Meghan Appel O'Meara. Vol. 1. Detroit: Gale, 2001. 225-237. Gale
Virtual Reference Library. Web. 4 Mar. 2016.
Cruden, Alex. The Rwandan Genocide. Detroit: Greenhaven, 2010. Web.
French, Howard W. The Case Against Rwanda's President Paul Kagame: Explora Secondary
Schools. Your Bibliography: N.p., 2016. Web. 4 Mar. 2016.
The Rwandan Genocide - Facts & Summary - Your Bibliography: Genocide, Rwanda:. "The
Rwandan Genocide - Facts & Summary - N.p., 2016. Web. 4 Mar. 2016.
The Rwandan Genocide: 20 years later. Your Bibliography: "The Rwandan Genocide:
20 Years Later". N.p., 2016. Web. 4 Mar. 2016.
Rwandan History. CultureGrams Online Edition. ProQuest, 2016. Web. 8 Mar. 2016.
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Outline
(Introduction)
I. Cause
A. Political Background
B. Tensions
II. Why it happened
A. Events Directly Causing Genocide
B. Facts About Genocide
III. Aftermath
A. Political Instability
B. Social Issues
(Conclusion)

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