In rwanda today, the attempt to exterminate the minority tutsi is of course not a government initiative but rather a continuation of the 1994 genocide by the defeated rwandan military. Beginning on april 6, 1994, and for the next hundred days, up to 800,000 tutsis were killed by hutu militia using clubs and machetes, with as many as 10,000 killed each day. This genocide, committed by rwandans against rwandans, destroyed social bonds between rwandans and damaged economic institutions. The documents demonstrate what us officials knew about the genocide, what options were considered, and how and why they chose to avoid intervening in the slaughter. The rwandan genocide, also known as the genocide against the tutsi, was a mass slaughter of tutsi, twa, and moderate hutu in rwanda, which took place between 7 april and 15 july 1994 during the rwandan civil war. The genocide was conceived by extremist elements of rwanda s majority hutu population who planned to kill the minority tutsi population and anyone who opposed those genocidal intentions. The united nations and general dallaire both thought at first that the killings were politically motivated, not genocide. Jul 23, 2017 on april 6, 1994, the plane carrying the president of rwanda mysteriously explodes. Jean damascene bizimana, rwandan ambassador to the u. The mutsinzi report on the rwandan genocide the new yorker. Any adequate account of the 1994 genocide in rwanda must acknowledge manipulation by external forces, domestic pressures and psychological factors. United nations to commemorate 1994 rwanda genocide at. In 1994, rwanda erupted into one of the most appalling cases of mass murder the world has witnessed since world war ii. Rwandan genocide was a 1994 mass execution of central african groups called the hutus and tutsisin a period of 100 days between april 6, 1994midjuly 1994 between 500,000 and 1,000,000 tutsis.
Causes and effects of rwandan genocide, 1994 by devika. Explaining the 1994 genocide in rwanda semantic scholar. This article first examines the legacy of colonial policies, before treating the genocide as a response to economic and political crisis in. Rpf rebels invaded rwanda from uganda in 1990, reigniting hatred against the tutsi and starting a low level civil war. Special rapporteur on summary, arbitrary, and extrajudicial executions, b. Rwanda accuses france of complicity in 1994 genocide the. Genocide in rwanda aprilmay 1994 human rights watch. The genocide was conceived by extremist elements of rwandas majority hutu population who planned to kill the minority tutsi population and anyone who opposed those. The killings as many as 1 million people are estimated to have perished shocked the international community. An african ethnic group called the tutsis were viciously attacked by another group called the hutus, thus genocide was formed. Explaining the 1994 genocide in rwanda the journal of modern. This paper examines the question of why so many ordinary hutu participated in genocidal killing of tutsi in rwanda in 1994.
With the onset of the genocide in april 1994, the rpf launched into rwanda. Walking the road to genocide 20 gerald caplan part one. Independent inquiry into the actions of the united nations during the 1994 genocide in rwanda and statement of the secretary. Chairman, most of my policy suggestions relate to situations where it is government authorities who are engaged in genocide. Africas development and its primary source of instability. List of films about the rwandan genocide wikipedia. According to kaufman, rwandas genocide must have been motivated by an exceptionally hostile, eliminationist hutu mythology aimed against the tutsi extreme mass hostility against tutsi, and chauvinist mobilization based on manipulating ethnic symbolsall resulting. To appreciate them, a short journey through rwandas history is necessary. The international response to conflict and genocide. It is estimated that some 200,000 hutu, spurred on by propaganda from. Hintjens abstract any adequate account of the 1994 genocide in rwanda must acknowledge manipulation by external forces, domestic pressures and psychological factors.
In the rwandan genocide, members of an ethnic group called the tutsi abatutsi were killed because of their ethnicity. Message to symposium on the media and the rwanda genocide ix ko. Journal of african conflicts and peace studies schabas, used the word genocide to describe the mass killings of tutsis. Government failed to anticipate the rwandan genocide of 1994. On april 6, 1994, the plane carrying the president of rwanda mysteriously explodes. The rwandan genocide was a nationwide extermination campaign led by the countrys government and members of the hutu political elite against the tutsi ethnic minority, which resulted in 500,0001,000,000 civilian deaths and reduced. Documentary film on the rwandan genocide, and the plight of its refugees, by the journalist steve bradshaw. The rwandan genocide of 1994 is defined as the mass massacre in the african country of rwanda. On april 6th, 1994, the day president habyarimanas plane was shot down and blamed on the rpf and tutsi were blamed for this. Despite this, the survivors, the genocide perpetrators and their respective families now have. The rwandan genocide may have kicked off in 1994 but there were many issues behind it. Today the national security archive publishes on the world wide web sixteen declassified us government documents detailing how us policymakers chose to be bystanders during the genocide that decimated rwanda in 1994.
Sep 08, 2006 the genocide and war in rwanda, 1990 1994 tony sullivan between half a million and a million people out of rwanda s total population of 8 million, died in a few weeks between april and june 1994. Rwanda genocide of 1994, planned campaign of mass murder in rwanda that occurred over the course of some 100 days in apriljuly 1994. May 07, 2012 the diplomatic conflict that arose between france and the united states during the rwandan genocide of 1994 resulted from the two nations conflicting policies toward rwanda. Nevertheless, department of state officials refrained from characterizing it as such for weeks. Seventeen years ago, in 1994, in the space of three months, an estimated 800,000 tutsis and moderate hutus were killed in rwanda, in what came to be known as the rwanda genocide. Kigali, rwanda the rwandan government released an independent report on wednesday accusing french officials of complicity in the 1994 genocide, risking further strains to. The forgotten genocide might contain content that is not suitable for all ages. From 1894 until the end of world war i, rwanda, along with burundi and present day tanzania, was part of german east africa. Long before the genocide, around the 1890s, there were three ethnic groups. The thesis is divided into chapters covering the pregenocidal roles of women, their roles during the genocide, and finally, their social and political roles since the genocide. It investigates the pervasive images of male urban youth as a menace to.
They were targeting members of the minority tutsi community, as well. Why the united states let the rwandan tragedy happen, by samantha. A summary of the rwandan genocide polytechnic school. In this context, the report on habyarimanas plane is.
On april 6, 1994, rwandan president juvenal habyarimanas personal plane, a gift from french president francois mitterand, was shot down as it returned to rwanda, killing habyarimana, burundian president cyprien ntarymira, and members of their entourages. The documents include those cited in the new investigative account, bystanders to genocide. Documentary film on the involvement of france in rwanda prior to the genocide. One of those tragedies started on this day in 1994. The chairman of the independent inquiry into united nations actions during the 1994 rwanda genocide, ingvar carlsson, presented his report to. The genocide was conceived by extremist elements of rwandas majority hutu population who planned to kill the minority tutsi population and anyone who opposed those genocidal intentions. The internal debate over whether genocide was occurring in rwanda in 1994 and us officials use of the term began nearly as soon as the killing began. Both precolonial legacies and colonial policies contributed to. Annan preface xi notes on contributors xiii 1 introduction 1 allan thompson 2 the media dichotomy 12 romeo dallaire 3 rwanda. This genocide damaged and destroyed the social cohesion and make up of rwandan society. The genocide and war in rwanda, 19901994 tony sullivan.
Hintjens abstract any adequate account of the i994 genocide in rwanda must acknowledge manipulation by external forces, domestic pressures and psychological factors. Apr 14, 2000 the chairman of the independent inquiry into united nations actions during the 1994 rwanda genocide, ingvar carlsson, presented his report to the security council this morning, saying the council. The tutsi, the minority in rwanda at the time, were the main victims of the slaughter. Rwandan genocide part of the rwandan civil war human skulls at the nyamata genocide memorial location rwanda date 7 april 15 july 1994 target tutsi population, twa, and. Starting on april 7, 1994, the hutu, the ethnic majority of rwanda, killed more than 800,000 people, in one of the largest genocides since before world war ii. As the genocide was unprecedented in african annals, so is the panel. Explaining the 1994 genocide in rwanda the journal of. Explaining the 1994 genocide in rwanda article pdf available in the journal of modern african studies 372. The united nations ability to act from a neoliberal perspective, towson university journal of international affairs 382 2002, 17. Explaining rwanda s 1994 genocide semantic scholar. The rpf invaded rwanda in 1990, but was repelled only to try again in 1993, largely in response to politicallyinspired massacres of tutsi inside rwanda. From the very first signs of genocide, the united states was confronted with a difficult choice.
Rwanda, genocide prevention, intelligence analysis, peace negotiations, framing, cognitive biases, arusha accords, libya, south sudan, syria the hundredday bloodletting in rwanda from april through july 1994, which took more than. Rwandas 1994 genocide was a retaliation by the states hutu regime to a violent challenge from the tutsi rebels, who invaded from uganda in 1990 and fought. The world media has often portrayed the genocide as an ancient tribal conflict between the majority hutu and minority tutsi, implying that it is a. This force was called the united nations assistance mission in rwanda, or unamir.
In this genocide, more than one million tutsi were killed for the sole reason of being tutsi. The international panel of eminent personalities to investigate the 1994 genocide in rwanda and the surrounding events was created by the organization of african unity. See, for example, emily sciarillo, genocide in rwanda. When the hutus discovered their reign had ended they feared tutsi backlash and about 2 million. Since genocide is the most aberrant of human behaviors, it cries out for explanation. Cause and effects of the rwandan genocide, 1994 in august of 1994 the tutsi rpf group lead by kagame retook the capital and soon after, the rest of the country, ending the genocide. This article gives a brief account of how, and why and what role western governments played. The sweetly sickening odor of decomposing bodies hung over many parts of rwanda in july 1994. Dec, 2017 kigali, rwanda the rwandan government released an independent report on wednesday accusing french officials of complicity in the 1994 genocide, risking further strains to already icy relations. The genocide in rwanda, like all genocides, was a complex phenomenon that resulted from a combination of longterm structural factors as well as more. In just 100 days in 1994, about 800,000 people were slaughtered in rwanda by ethnic hutu extremists. During that time, about 800,000 people were murdered in a genocide, many or all people in a group are killed because of their ethnicity, colour, religion, or political opinions.
The diplomatic conflict that arose between france and the united states during the rwandan genocide of 1994 resulted from the two nations conflicting policies toward rwanda. The genocide took place under the aegis of the state, and rwandans were the main actors involved. Even so, the nature of the rwandan state must be seen as absolutely central. By clicking on continue you confirm that you are 18 years and over. The two presidents were returning from tanzania, where theyd met with regional leaders concerning events in burundi. The genocide and war in rwanda, 19901994 tony sullivan between half a million and a million people out of rwandas total population of 8 million, died in a few weeks between april and june 1994. The rwandan genocide took place over a time span of only 100 days, between april and july 1994.