War | Rwanda

The Republic of Rwanda was widely known as ‘a tropical Switzerland in the heart of Africa’.

The high grounds of Rwanda and Burundi, just over a 1000 miles from Cameroon are the last parts of Africa to be reached by Europeans in the colonial growth in late 19th century. . Prior to that local folklore tells of several centuries for the duration of which the Tutsi, a tall cattle-rearing people most likely from the upper reaches of the Nile, penetrate the area and gain power over the Hutu, already in residence and farming for a living. Another official description of the Hutu-Tutsi divide is by profession and by class. The upper class consisted of the Tutsi who were herdsmen by profession. The lower class consisted of the Hutus and their occupation happened to be farming.

Subsequent to the 1885 Berlin Conference, Rwanda went on to become a German colony; still, it would be a very long time before a steady German presence was known there. Rwanda was mandated to Belgium in 1918; Belgium practiced a method of meandering rule that amplified the then present partition between Tutsi and Hutu. This thoughtless introduction of class consciousness disturbed the equilibrium of Rwandan society. The majority of Tutsis actually had begun to act like the aristocracy, and a political separation was born. This Belgian approach, of support to one of the two groups, primed the ground for violence in the future.

Later on the colonials from Europe introduced new methods of fighting as well as modern weaponry into the mix. The Hutus then began to feel that they had no choice but to put up an armed resistance. Then later in 1959 the Hutus gained power and started stripping the Tutsis off their land. Rwanda had become dangerous for the Tutsis and they began to flee Rwanda seek refuge in neighboring lands, where they formed a resistance group called the (RPF), Rwandan Patriotic Front. They trained their militia, and bided their time. The Tutsi resistance was relentless and getting bigger, and in 1990, The RPF militia attacked and the war began.

After numerous attacks in August of 1993, and months of trying to find middle ground, a peace pact was signed between the Hutu president Juvénal Habyarimana and the RPF. After that on the 6th of April in 1994 an anti aircraft rocket, almost unquestionably fired by Hutu extremists, brought down a plane ferrying president Habyarimana. Even if clandestinely contrived by extremist Hutus, This news spread like wildfire and the killing of president Habyarimana becomes the instant excuse for mass bloodshed in the days and weeks to come. This genocide was carried out wholly by hand, often using machetes and clubs, on a very large scale. These men who had been trained to accomplish mass execution were constituents of a civilian death squad known as “ Interahamwe”.

Local officials helped in gathering together victims and making appropriate places accessible for their massacre. Men women and children belonging to the Tutsi, were executed in droves, sometimes even in schools or churches and other such places. Terror was what the Hutu government sought after: the Interahamwe were not driven by alcohol or drugs but by, fanatic devotion to a political foundation backed by senseless bloodshed. The genocide in Rwanda resulted in the organized massacre of hundreds of thousands of Tutsis and neutral Hutus in less than a hundred days days without the use of modern-day artillery used for mass destruction. These actions took place whilst the worldwide community kept its eyes closed; desperate appeals for help went unheeded.

The time did come when a small number of international leaders finally did voice their condemnation; then the genocidal establishment paid attention and altered their strategy. However, far from basis for contentment, this small accomplishment only highlights the catastrophe. If such negligible feeble protests shaped this kind of result in late April, envisage the result in mid April, had the entire world spoken out .

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