Rwanda

Rwanda’s Neighbours

Some Info

• Population: 7,810,056Capital: KigaliGovernment type: RepublicPresident: Paul KagameEthnicity: 85% Hutu, 14% TutsiMajor languages: Kinyarwanda, English and French are official languages. Swahili is also used.Major religions: Catholic (56.5%), Protestant (26%), Adventist (11.1%), Muslim (4.6%)

Some Info

• Life expectancy: 39.33 yearsMedian age: 18.1 yearsNatural resources: Gold, tin ore, tungsten ore, methaneCanadian imports from: Coffee ($700,000)Canadian exports to: Electrical machinery ($800,000 and worn clothing $100,000)

History• First colonized by Germany in 1890.

• Germany forced to give it over to Belgium in Treaty of Versailles in 1919.

• Natives made up of two ethnic groups, Tutsi and Hutu who lived together for 600 years.

Hutu Tutsi

• Both groups spoke the same language, shared the same religion, and traded resources.

• Both followed the Belgian chosen leader and thought he was godlike.

• Intermarriages were common between the two.

Differences Hutu Tutsi

• Physically the Tutsi were lighter skinned, thinner and taller than Hutus

• Hutus were shorter and stocky, darker skinned.

• Tutsi were cattle herders, Hutu were famers.

• 85% of people were Hutu, 15% Tutsi

• Large Hutu Majority.

Belgium Influence• Belgium orders the citizens to carry

identity cards stating who was Tutsi and Hutu.

• Belgium viewed the Tutsi as ethnically superior because they had lighter skin, were taller.

• Tutsi were richer since they had cattle.• Gave privileged jobs and government

positions to Tutsi.• This angered Hutus as they were the

majority

Conflict

• In 1959 Rwandan Tutsi king dies and Belgium installs another Tutsi king.

• This angered Hutus and a violent revolution resulted.

• Rwanda holds an referendum and vote for independence from Belgium.

Hutu Power

• 1962 First Hutu, Gregoire Kayibanda, elected to power.

• Throughout the 60’s and 70’s Hutus kill and persecute Tutsi and remove them from powerful jobs.

• 2 million Tutsi fled to Uganda, Congo, Tanzania.

• In 1973 military coup installs Hutu General Habyarimana

• He changes constitution that states Tutsi can only fill 9% of government positions.

• Tutsis in Rwanda and all neighboring countries from the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF) to fight for Tutsi rights.

• 1990 RPF in all countries invade Rwanda.• France and Zaire send troops to stop the

invasion and force a cease fire in 1991.• Hutu Government declares Tutsis as

enemy of the state.• United Nations intervenes to make sure

the cease fire is not broken.• Mission is called United Nations

Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR).

UNAMIR

• 2500 troops

• 370 from Canada

• 400 Belgium

• 800 Ghana

• Canadian Lieutenant General Romeo Dallaire is put in charge of the mission to support Arusha Accords cease fire.

Ethnic Division

• President Habyarimana takes this event to create a Tutsi enemy threat.

• Gave him more support in the country.

• Organized massacres of Tutsi and opposition groups.

• Formed a youth militia called the Interahamwe (those that attack together).

• Interehamwe recruiters offered them food, drugs, freedom to rape, cash.

• Encouraged them to take Tutsi possessions.

•

Hutu Power Radio

• Habyarimana also started the radio station RTLM also known as Hutu Power.

• Used to spread hatred and blame the Tutsi for all problems.

• Called them Inyenzi or “cockroaches”• Also spread hate against UNAMIR and Belgium.• In Burundi, Tutsis murdered the Hutu president

making the Rwandans more frightened.

Hutu Power Radio

• Radio announces that Tutsi should exterminate their neighbours and take their land and possessions.

• False reports of the Tutsi attacking Hutu in rural parts of country led by the RPF.

Civilian Civil Defense Force

• Habyarimana organizes another militia (Civilian Civil Defense Force) of ordinary citizens and gives them clubs and machetes.

• It is now believed that France supplied weapons and training for the Interahamwe and the Civilian force.

Structure

• Habyarimana then kills all local leaders that does not support him and replaces them with his own Hutu leaders.

• Police chiefs, Mayors, government employees all support killing the Tutsi.

• They wait for the signal from the Hutu power radio station.

Dallaire’s Cables• Dallaire captures shipments of weapons

from France (in violation of Arusha Accords) destined for Hutu Government.

• Meets with Interahamwe informant “Jean Pierre” who tells of weapons caches throughout Rwanda.

• Dallaire sends cable (communication) requesting permission to capture weapons and is denied. Forced to tell Habyarimana what he knows.

• Jean Pierre is never seen again

Start

• April 6th 1994 President Habyarimana is killed when his plane is shot down.

• Colonel Bagosora takes charge and orders the military, Interahamwe, Civilian Civil Defense to begin extermination of the Tutsi for self defense.

Strategies

• Organised to kill 1000 every 20 minutes

• Since Rwandans were forced to identify, Hutus knew where they lived.

• Went house to house killing families.

• Local officials order militias to create barriers on roads to prevent Tutsis from leaving.

•

Strategies

• Force Tutsi to go to public buildings (churches, schools, govt buildings) where they are massacred in large scale.

• Women were raped in exchange for their life.

Belgium Deaths

• Once the killings started, Romeo Dallaire sent 10 Belgium peacekeepers to protect the Prime Minister Agathe uwilingiyimana

• She is killed

• Troops are captured, tortured and killed by the Tutsi.

•

Evacuations

• France, Belgium, U.S send 2000 in troops and Military planes to evacuate its citizens in Rwanda, and leave.

• Belgium removed its troops after the deaths.

• Dallaire was left with 270 troops from Canada and Ghana.

• UN ordered Dallaire to leave, he denied the order.

End of Genocide

• The genocide came to an end after the RPF invaded once again.

• Estimated 800,000 Tutsi and Hutu killed in 100 days.

• RPF capture Kigali and form an interim government composed of Tutsi and Hutu.