Rwandan Genocide Flashcards
Where is Rwanda?
A fertile county in central Africa. One of the most densely populated areas.
What are the ethnic groups like?
The country consists of two ethnic groups. The Hutus (90%) and the Tutsis (10%). Although they speak the same language and share a similar culture they a have been long enemies
What colony was Rwanda?
A Belgian colony. They arrived in 1916 and saw the two groups as distinct ones and saw the Tutsis as superior.
Why did the Belgians see the Tutsis as superior
They were taller, had lighter skin, and had a bigger skull meaning they would have a bigger brain being smarter
How did the Belgians control the country
They used the concept of divide and rule. They gave the Tutsis better job as and opportunities (university places reserved for Tutsis)
When did Rwanda gain independence
In 1962. The Hutus came in power and began discriminating against the Tutsis
What is the RPF
Rwanda Patriotic Front. They were the Tutsi exiles that formed their own army
When did the civil war start?
In 1990
What triggered the war to start
The shooting of the presidents plane. Historians believe that the Hutus who didn’t want anything to do with the Tutsis were responsible for the death of the president. Tutsis then blamed for everything bad that had happened in Rwanda in the past.
Who started killing the Tutsis
The interahamwe
How did the Hutu government encourage the others to kill? Why did they want revenge?
They provided them with machetes, used propaganda to make the Tutsis feared and not trusted which created an unfriendly environment in Rwanda. The Tutsis were blamed for the presidents death and encouraged to get revenge
How were the Tutsis referred to and what happened if the Hutus didn’t kill?
They were referred to as rats and the Hutus were told to cut down the trees (the Tutsis as they are tall like trees). The Hutus who didn’t kill were threatened to death themselves.
How was the genocide ended?
The Tutsis from Uganda defeated the Hutu government and ended the genocide
What happened after the genocide
The Hutus pled Rwanda incase the Tutsis were going to get revenge.
10% of Rwanda killed and children were orphaned. They two groups are still rivals and the mistrust is hard to overcome.
Why didn’t the other countries want to get involved in Rwanda
It was a very costly exercise as they needed to pay to get there and to get weapons made etc. The didn’t get involved as it would not have effected them as it was only a civil war and not a world war. They just said that there was conflict in Rwanda although it was way more than conflict
