...Analyse the causes of the Rwandan genocide Genocide has been seen as one of the worst moral crimes in the world. In this essay I will be analysing the causes of the Rwandan genocide by taking into account factors such as the history of Rwanda, the environmental, cultural, political and the role of the media and how they contributed to the mass killings of the Rwandan population. Raphael Lemkin has defined genocide as the destruction of a nation or of an ethnic group. Moreover the United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide has stated that acts such as intent to destroy in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group all account for genocidal acts. In 1994 Rwanda witnessed the unleashing of the genocide of the Tutsi by the ruling Hutu led government. It had been stated that Rwanda erupted into one of the most appalling cases of mass murder the world has witnessed since the Second World War. From 1894 until the end of World War 1, Rwanda was part of German East Africa. An estimation of half a million people was killed. The killings in Rwanda fell into three categories; combatants killing combatants, Hutu citizens, parliamentary and military forces killing Hutu citizens because the victims were either moderate or were willing to live and work with Tutsi and the Hutu killing Tutsi because they were Tutsi. The population of Rwanda is made up of three ethnic groups. One percent of the population are Twa (pigmy hunters)...
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...One hundred days of internal war in Rwanda has become one of the brutal massacres in the history of human kind. More than five hundred thousand people died in this injustice religious war where Tutsi people were exploited brutally throughout the whole country by Hutu people( Des et al, 1994 ). When we examine the issue to find the potential stimuli that trigger the war, we cannot deny the fact that the lack of religious tolerance was the main cause to fuel this massive killing. It can be clearly seen that due to the lack of religious tolerance in between Tutsis and Hutus, one of the massive killing in the human history has raised a bigger question about the status of human rights in Rwanda attention from developed nation’s involvement within the country Under the colonial law established from Belgium and Germany, Rwanda was in overall control of Tutsi people (Des et al, 1994). Under the kingship of King Rwabugiri Hutu people were regarded as one of the mostly hated groups within the country (René et al, 2004). This is how the preparation of the massive massacre began. Despite the effort of Belgium colonialism to maintain balance between Hutu and Tutsi people, the hatred and anger just kept growing. It was plain simple unfair society in Rwanda seeking for right political space in the land. Tutsi meaning “rich in cattle” were overall control and Hutus meaning “servant” were becoming modern day servants (René, 2004).The existing government were in control of Tutsi people who first...
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...This essay seeks to discuss the major factors that led to intra-state conflict in Rwanda that ultimately resulted in the April 1994 genocide. My discussion will start by giving a historical background to the nature of relations that existed between the two ethnic groups during the colonial era. It is during this era that seeds of hate between the two ethnic groups were perpetrated. My discussion will then focus on how events in the post-colonial era unfolded resulting in the genocide activities. Before going into the detailed discussion, there is need to define the terms intra-state conflict and genocide. Intra-state conflict is the occurrence of armed conflict within rather than between states. These conflicts involve ethnic or religious groups fighting against each other or against the government to secure autonomy, independence or well-being. Intra-state conflicts are therefore mostly referred to as ethnic or civil conflicts. These conflicts usually break out when one group-ethnic, religious or social feels disadvantaged or exploited by another group in the same state and tries to change that through violence. According to Aldelman (2005), the Rwanda 1994 genocide was the most appalling case of mass murder the world has witnessed since the Second World War. The genocide resulted from the deliberate choice of a modern elite to foster hatred and fear to keep itself in power. According to Shah, (2006), this was a case of the majority Hutu who comprised 85% of the population turning...
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...On April 1994, Rwanda suffered from genocide and it was lasted for 100 days. It was a conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi ethnic group. It was primarily carried out by “Hutu supremacist militia groups, co-perpetrated by the state government of Rwanda, the Rwandan Army, and Rwandan civilians in compliance with the “Hutu Power” movement” (World without genocide). Which shows that the Hutu ethnic group name Parmehutu led this social revolution or started genocide which overthrew the Tutsi ruling class which was a minority group. This resulted into “20,000 Tutsis and the exile of another 200,000 to neighboring countries” (World without genocide). As a result the population of the Tutsi group got reduced and in 1985 a political group formed by Tutsi...
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...occurred in the year 1994 in Rwanda (a small, heavily populated country in Africa) between two tribes, the Tutsi and Hutu. Over the course of three months, this genocide took the lives of at least 80,000 innocent Tutsi`s by hacking them to death with machetes. Genocide is an unnecessary act of war that has the potential to wipe out large quantities of innocent people, with no real reason to benefit society. Author Michael Norfolk believes that it is necessary in order for us to reach Utopia for blood to be shed. According to Norfolk, genocide is “ancient”, comparing the amount of tribes that have been exterminated to the list of animal and plant species that we have...
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...Term Paper (15 marks) October 28th, 2013 Students are required to pick a disaster that has happened in the recent past from a local, national, regional or international level such as Tana River Clashes, Rwanda Genocide, Hurricane Katrina, 2007-2008 Post Election Violence, or Oil Spill in the Gulf Coast etc. Students should give a background of the disaster to include when, where, how, and why it happened. How did the authorities handle the disaster, what impact did it cause to the community (physical, social, emotional, psychological, economical), how did the media respond and report the disaster, any services for first responders, for the community after the disaster, vulnerable groups. Students should give their reaction to that disaster and offer recommendations/solutions on how they would address the disaster chosen if it were to occur again based on their findings in relation to practice, policy, research, education/training. Students will be required to share a brief presentation with the class on their topic and findings. Final Examinations (70 marks) Final exam will constitute content covered throughout the semester. Question 1 is compulsory and carries 25 marks. Section 2 contains a total of 4 questions each carrying 15 marks. Pick any three (3) questions from this section. NOTE: All written work MUST be typed using Times New Roman 12 point font and 1.5 spacing. Include a cover page containing your name, registration number, course name, title of paper...
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...military and abundant economy, the United States has had the resources and the reason to get involved in many conflicts throughout history, but it has dropped the ball a great number of those times. Many think that the US should always put itself first and never get involved in foreign affairs. But the United States has the power to solve issues anywhere on Earth, and so it should get involved to prevent crimes against humanity everywhere because we are all people and deserve basic rights. Additionally, our country should stop attacking when the result only benefits the United States. One crisis in our world’s history was the Rwandan genocide. This was the massacre of 800,000 Rwandan people from April to June in 1994 following...
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...The failure of the United States to intervene at the onset of genocide was due to many reasons. First, the U.S. lobbied the U.N. for a total withdrawal of U.N. (UNAMIR) forces in Rwanda in April 1994, also Secretary of State Warren Christopher did not authorize officials to use the term "genocide" until May 21, and even then, U.S. officials waited another three weeks before using the term in public. The Bureaucratic infighting slowed the U.S. response to the genocide in general as The U.S. refused to jam extremist radio broadcasts inciting the killing, citing costs and concern with international law. However, U.S. officials knew exactly who was leading the genocide, and actually spoke with those leaders to urge an end to the violence but did...
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...In military tactics, a flanking maneuver, or flanking manoeuvre (also called a flank attack), is an attack on the sides of an opposing force. If a flanking maneuver succeeds, the opposing force would be surrounded from two or more directions, which significantly reduces the maneuverability of the outflanked force and its ability to defend itself. A psychological advantage may also be present, as the confusion and threat from multiple directions is often problematic for morale. An ambush is a long-established military tactic, in which combatants take advantage of concealment and the element of surprise to attack unsuspecting enemy combatants from concealed positions, such as among dense underbrush or behind hilltops Penetration of the Center This maneuver involves concentrating superior force at the center of the opposing line in order to punch a hole and then to exploit the gap with a reserve force. This maneuver is usually attempted if flanks are protected by obstacles such as rivers Envelopment of a Single Flank This maneuver involves pinning attacks on the opposing center, sometimes a flank as well, while using mobile forces to try and turn the other flank and roll up the line towards the center. This maneuver is one of the most frequently used. Advantages include the possibility of enveloping a portion of the opposing army and usually offer less risk of disaster than other maneuvers. However, disadvantages still include the risk of a counterstroke against one’s weakened...
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...“Genocide is a special case of murder. It is as old as mankind itself,” said Edward Nyankanzi in his book about Rwanda. The Rwandan Genocide started in April 6, 1994 when the Hutu group began to kill harmless Tutsi men, women and children with machetes, pickaxes, etc. It ended July 15, 1994 when the RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front) defeated the Hutu army, and President Paul Kagame took control. After the Genocide the new government made a policy of unity and reconciliation. (Nyankanzi, 1998) There were many events leading up to the genocide. Including, Identification cards, the signing of the Arusha Peace Accords, and President Habyarimana’s plane being shot down shot down. In the Rwandan Genocide there were many things leading up to the genocide, but it had to start somewhere. The Hutus and the Tutsis have always had some tension in the past, but the Europeans just made it worse. It began when the Belgians made everyone identification cards which...
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...American Passivity: Rwanda Genocide Genocide is a crime on a different scale to all other crimes against humanity, and it implies an intention to completely exterminate the chosen group; genocide is therefore the greatest of the crimes against humankind. The massacres that transpired in Rwanda less than four years ago possess every quality attributed to the ramifications of genocide. There, in the clearest case of genocide since Hitler, a vast slaughter occurred which claimed the lives of more that 800,000 Rwandans. This genocide is probably the greatest and gravest crime against humanity in the second half of the twentieth-century; and no group whether foreign or indigenous executed enough force to prevent this from occurring. The United States stood by and watched the horrific events unfold. The Clinton administration, facing what was the clearest case of genocide in 50 years, responded by downplaying the crisis diplomatically and impeding effective intervention by U.N. forces to stop the killing. A great crime against humanity did exist through the individual tortures, rapes, and slaughters of the Rwandans; but, hidden in all of the turmoil and rage, was the crime of passivity and evasion in the United States’ response towards all of the crimes and suffering. One million Rwandan civilians were left for dead, but that could have been significantly reduced with the initial intervention and aide of the U.S. government. Rwanda has been subjected to a number of historical...
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...result of a series of built up incidents and a single action taken place can cause immense devastation, yet reversible. Genocide is officially defined by the United Nations as committing an act with the “intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnical, racial or religious group...” the Rwandan Genocide exemplifies this perfectly. The tension between the majority Hutus and minority Tutsis who are the two most common ethnic groups in Rwanda derived from the German and Belgian colonization. After colonization, the two groups were divided, and the Tutsis obtained more power. More importantly, the Hutus gained political influence and they felt Tutsis had wronged them for centuries....
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...The Rwandan Genocide In April and July of 1994, around “800,000 Tutsi and Moderate Hutus(ethnic groups that lived in Rwanda) were slaughtered” when they tried to rebel against the Hutu extremist-led government. He was trying to murder all the Tutsi minority and willing to kill anyone who stepped in the way. The genocide is one of the worst moments in human history. This genocide went down in history as the quickest killing spree the world has ever seen. The Hutu extremist-let government made a plan to kill and wipe out all the Tutsis in the country. The Hutus blamed the Tutsi people for the country’s increasing social, economic, and political pressures. On October 2, 1990, a civil war broke out between Hutus and Tutsis. The tutsi rebel group, Rwandan Patriotic Front, invaded Rwanda from the north. The main perpetrators were the Hutu extremists....
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...The Rwandan Genocide The people of Rwanda “saw things that no one can describe- some of the worst the world has ever seen.” In the years after the genocide, many people could not deal with or think about the issue. It was too hard for them to remember. Moreover, many people were consumed by all of the hurt they were feeling. The Rwandan Genocide was a very rough and important part of history that changed the path of the country (Makombe 63-64). Before the Genocide, Rwandans had struggled for independence. This happened in the late 1950s and early 1960s. In 1962, however, Rwanda became independent (“Rwandan Genocide”). Despite speaking the same language and following the same traditions, there have always been...
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...fragmentations for decades since the colonialism era. In Rwanda, the two main races, Hutu and Tutsi, face ongoing political strugglings within its territory. The situation exacerbated with the colonial influence in the region. After its independence supported by the Belgians, Hutu majority was able to seized the power and established a regime that focused on oppression on the Tutsi minority. Under Kayibanda rule, violence against Tutsi was widespread. Tutsi children and women were taken from their home and killed. In 1973, Kayibanda was ousted by the coup led by Habyarimana who was a Tutsi. Peace was found in region. However, peace did not last long. The economic instability in 1985 made Rwandans unsatisfied with their life condition. Hutu support of Habyarimana was eroding. Without Hutu support, his political power would be threatened. Therefore in order to maintain his support, he adopted anti-Tutsi policies. These acts led to the invasion of Rwandan Patriotic Front which composed of Tutsi in exile in Uganda. Rwanda was on the blink of genocide. The final string that led to the genocide was the shooting down of Habyarinmana’s plane. After the incident, gunfire between two sides was exchanged and later resulted in massacre. A quick resolution to this conflict is needed. Republic of the Congo would like to express its condolence to the loss of lives of Rwandan civilians. We are deeply concerned with the escalation of the genocide and it should be stopped immediately before greater...
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