Crisis: Rwanda, 1994

Unit 1 – AfricaLesson 10 – Crisis – Rwanda 1994

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Period ______________

The Crisis

• Genocide: killing of an entire race of people

• Hutu rebels slaughtered Tutsi ethnic minority

• Killed nearly 1 million Tutsis

• Goal: eliminate them from existence

The background to hatred

• Hutus were angry at Tutsis

• For years, Rwanda was a colony of Belgium

• Belgium used Tutsi minority to rule

• Issued passbooks to show tribal identity

• Hutus were a majority, but had no power

More background to the hatred

• Prior to 1962 Independence, Hutus started attacking Tutsis

• 100,000 escaped to neighboring countries

• They formed the Rwanda Patriotic Front army (RPF)

• They attacked from the outside

Hutus prepare to eliminate the Tutsis

• Every time the RPF attacked, the Hutu government retaliated with slaughter and repression of Tutsis

• 1973 – a Hutu general overthrew the government in a military coup

• He ruled as a dictatorJuvénal Habyarimana

The 1990 Civil War• Foreign investment grew the

economy• Attacks diminished,

population grew, all seemed OK.

• Mostly, Hutus prospered, Tutsis did not

• Suddenly, in 1990, the RPF attacked, a Civil War started, and weakened the President

• 1993 – the Hutu President was forced to sign a peace treaty

The beginning of the conflict• Hutus were livid. Some formed civilian run

militant group (Interhamwe) to combat RPF• 1994, a plane carrying the Presidents of

Rwanda and Burundi was shot down • Hutus blamed RPF• Interhamwe coordinated attacks on Tutsis

The Rwanda Crisis, 1993• RPF (Tutsi rebel army)• INTERHAMWE (civilian Hutu thugs)• RWANDA MILITARY (sided with Hutus)

• Extremist Hutu set up road blocks and killed all Tutsi and moderate Hutu

• Forced civilians to take up arms and rat out neighbors

• Tutsis were being exterminated

Murders grew to the thousands

Refugees grew the millions

Refugee camp

The “real” Hotel Rwanda guys

Gen Romeo Dallaire

Paul Rusesabagina

Don CheadleNick Nolteclick

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