Rwanda Genocide in 1994 (Part 1) – Background of Conflicts

Daphne Wong

THE Rwanda Genocide in 1994 was a history that has shocked the international community, and which posed a question on the safety of international humanitarian aids. 15 years from now, a review of the incident is presented.

BACKGROUND: THREE ETHNICITIES

In Rwanda, there are three main ethnicities: Twa (1% of Rwanda population), Tutsi (13%) and Hutu (84%). Twa is the indigenous inhabitants of the Central Africa and is now a poverty-driven minority in Central Africa. By 2007, begging was the main source of income for 40% of Twa population in Rwanda.

The Tutsis and Hutus have been the two ethnicities in conflict for decades. Although the three ethnicities in Rwanda have no significant differences in their languages, cultures and appearance, it has been social class that divides them. Most of the upper class rulers of Rwanda had been Tutsis until 1959.

COLONIAL TIMES: “RUANDA-URUNDI”

“Ruanda-Urundi” consists of Rwanda and Burundi, one of the ten poorest countries in the world. It was a colony of Germany before World War I, and that of Belgium after Germany’s defeat. When Germany was the sovereign, only Tutsis were allowed to receive education and the rights to participate in the government. A strict hierarchy of people based on their ethnicity was promoted. Provided that Hutus were the overwhelming majority of the population, the policy clearly had buried the seed of the preceding events and the ongoing ethnic tension.

In 1959, Belgium allowed universal suffrage and participation of the Hutus in the government. In Rwanda, Hutu leaders overthrew the Tutsi monarchy. In Burundi, the Tutsi leader pushed for independence. Hutus refugees fled to Rwanda to avoid persecution, where there were mass killings of Tutsis by Hutus. In Burundi, the Tutsi soldiers killed the Hutus civilians in return as a vengeance.

In 1962, Rwanda was separated from Burundi. Burundi was ruled by Tutsis and Rwanda was ruled by Hutus.

ESCALATION OF CONFLICTS

Since 1970s, after the massacre of Tutsi civilians initiated by Hutu radicals in Burundi, a campaign of "selective genocide" was started by the Tutsi ruling government in Burundi. The genocide was "selective" in the sense that the targets were mainly Hutus political aspirations and "seemingly" educated Hutus.

In 1990s three democratically elected Hutu Presidents were assassinated. Some of the assassination was even conducted by the Burundi military. It was estimated that about 250,000 Hutus were killed and about 150,000 became asylum-seekers from 1962 to 1993.

INTERNATIONAL RESPONSES

The international community was silent to the serious crime against humanity. In fact, no African leader gave public statements against the massacres nor sought to involve the UN or the Organization of African Unity (OAU). There was not a single intervention, international sanction or even reports by the UN until 1996, as evidenced in the UN Security Council.

AFTER THE GENOCIDE, WHAT WAS LEFT?

The genocide of 1972 did not receive the international concerns it deserve. Even worse, the two-decade genocide in Burundi was answered by Rwanda with the killings of Tutsis in 1994.

(To be continued)