Introduction
The Rwandan Genocide of 1994 was not only one of the most remarkable tragedies in Rwanda, but is often recalled as one of the most gruesome massacres in all of history. The Rwandan Genocide was an attack on the Tutsi minority from the Hutu majority, the two major ethnic groups of Rwanda. According to the Survivors Fund (SURF), an estimated eight hundred thousand to one million Tutsis, along with some moderate Hutus, were slaughtered over the course of the one hundred day genocide ("Statistics"). The Huffington Post states, "If we follow the U.N. 's estimate, that means that nearly six men, women and children were murdered every minute of every hour of every day," ("5 Staggering Statistics"). Nevertheless, little assistance was provided for the Tutsis during the Rwandan Genocide. The lack of empathy from other nations during the massacre was remarkable. The entire world watched the genocide play out, yet almost all of the observers turned a blind eye and waited for the United Nations to intervene. Although the Tutsis longed for a savior, the U.N. did not intervene until it was far too late.
What was the rationale behind the United
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Also, the Rwandan Genocide should have been easy to predict when reflecting on the numerous Tutsi assaults in the past. All attacks that took place in Rwanda after World War I led to the Rwandan Genocide, which is frequently known as the most monumental massacre in the history of Rwanda. Each assault building up to it possessed a secret plea from the Tutsis to other countries, hoping for a country 's or the U.N. 's assistance to help defend against the Hutus. Nevertheless, little assistance was provided for the Tutsis even during the Rwandan Genocide. The lack of empathy from other nations was a remarkable aspect of the massacre. The entire world observed the genocide play out, but waited for the United Nations
"Rwanda, Genocide, Hutu, Tutsi, Mass Execution, Ethnic Cleansing, Massacre, Human Rights, Victim Remembrance, Education, Africa." UN News Center. UN, n.d. Web. 01 Dec. 2013.
Ethnocentrism, the belief in the inherent superiority of one's own ethnic group or culture, has been the cause of genocide throughout history. Two examples of Ethnocentrism include the Nazi party during the Third Reich and the Hutu reign in Rwanda during the late 20th century. During the 20th century, the Holocaust and the Rwandan Genocide, two historically astounding genocides, took place containing similarities in the motive to kill but differentiating in their techniques. However they are more ______ than _____ by nature. The definition of “genocide” is very controversial. It means: “the deliberate killing of a large group of people, especially those of a particular ethnic group or nation”. This definition could be used as neither one of the excuses that the United States did not intervene in the Rwandan Genocide nor the opening stages of the Holocaust.
The state-sponsored massacres of Hutus by the Tutsi-dominated Burundian army in 1972 was one of the most significant post-Holocaust genocides and as such received appropriate levels of international attention due to a lack of political distractions within western nations. The genocide broke out as a Hutu-lead rebellion in which Hutu insurgents massacred Tutsis and resisting Hutus in the lakeside towns of Rumonge and Nyanza-Lac. As many as 1200 people killed in this initial incident, the Tutsi-dominated government responded by declaring martial law and systematically proceeded to slaughter Hutus (Totten 325). After hundreds of thousands of Hutus had been massacred by the Burundian government, the neighboring nation of Zaire aided the Hutus in a counteroffensive attack on the Tutsi-controlled army. Having succeeded in their effort, the genocide was quickly brought to international attention within a few days. The United Nations invested $25,000 from the World Disaster Relief Account’s fund...
It is impossible to even imagine the scale of hate, destruction, and massacre that occurred in Rwanda during those 100 days. Linda Melvern, on the International Development Research Centere website, describes in an article the Gikondo Massacre, one of the bloodiest mass-killings during the genocide. On the third day of the turmoil, about 500 Tutsi, many of them children, gathered at a church in the middle of Kigali, having stepped over the bodies of their neighbors to get there. They pleaded the clergy for protection. The priest did his best, but presidential guard soldiers arrived and accused the church of harboring evil. He then left, telling soldiers not to waste bullets; the Interahamwe, he said, would arrive with...
...war broke out in Rwanda between the Tutsi minority and the Hutu majority. After the Rwandan president Juvenal Habyarimana was killed and his plane was shot down, it sparked the organization of violence against the Tutsi across Rwanda. Between 800,000 and 1 million died. Since the 1989 overthrow of the Sudanese government by a military coup led by current President Omar al-Bashir, the second phase of the Sudanese civil war the government had bombed civilians and gave local militias the power to attack civilians across the country. From 1983 to 2005 an estimated 2 million Sudanese died due to combat tactics and famine. Why don’t we listen? Why doesn't the world look around and end these genocides? It’s because people care more about world domination than world peace. “When the power of love overcomes the love of power the world will know peace.” -Jimi Hendrix
Many innocent lives were taken during the genocide in Rwanda in 1994. Philip Gourevitch’s “We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed with Our Families,” explains why the genocide that occurred in Rwanda should not be written off in history as just another tribal disagreement. This book entails the stories of Gourevitch and the people he interviewed when he went to Rwanda. These stories express what people went through during the genocide, the loss they saw, the mass killings they tried to hide from, and the history of what led to the Rwandan genocide. Rwanda’s colonial past did influence the development of the genocide in Rwanda. The hatred between the Hutus and the Tutsis had been going on for many years before the genocide.
The Rwandan Genocide was a terrible event in history caused by a constantly weakening relationship between two groups of people. The country of Rwanda is located in Africa and consists of multiple groups of people. Majority of Rwanda is Hutu, while a smaller amount of people are Tutsis. The genocide started due to multiple events that really stretched the relationship between the two groups to its end. One of the starting factors was at the end of World War 1. Rwanda was a German colony but then was given to Belgium “who favored the minority Tutsis over the Hutus, exacerbated[exacerbating] the tendency of the few to oppress the many”(History.com). This created a feeling of anger towards the Tutsis, because they had much more power then Hutus.
Africa has been an interesting location of conflicts. From the conflict between Ethiopia and Eritrea to the revolutionary conflict in Libya and Egypt, one of the greatest conflicts is the Rwandan Genocide. The Rwandan Genocide included two tribes in Rwanda: Tutsis and Hutus. Upon revenge, the Hutus massacred many Tutsis and other Hutus that supported the Tutsis. This gruesome war lasted for a 100 days. Up to this date, there have been many devastating effects on Rwanda and the global community. In addition, many people have not had many acknowledgements for the genocide but from this genocide many lessons have been learned around the world.
When the Belgian colonizers entered Rwanda in 1924, they created an ethnic classification between the Hutu and the Tutsi, two tribes who used to live together as one. After independence in 1962, there was a constant power struggle between the two tribes. Former Canadian Prime Minister, Jean-Pierre Chrétien described the situation as “tribalism without tribes.” (Destexhe, 1995) There were many signs leading towards genocide, yet the nations in power chose to ignore them. From April 6, 1994 until mid-July, a time spanning approximately of 100 days, 800,000 people were murdered when the Hutu attacked the Tutsi. No foreign aid came to the rescue until it was too late. Ten years after the genocide the United Nations was still involved in Rwanda, cleaning up the mess that was left behind because of man’s sinful nature. Could the Rwandan Genocide have been prevented, or is it simply a fact of life? Even though the international community is monitoring every country and race, such an event as the Rwandan Genocide could occur again because the European colonizers introduced ethnic classification where it did not exist and the nations in power chose to ignore the blatant signs of genocide.
UN peacekeepers in Rwanda sent warning of an “Anti-Tutsi extermination” plot, and there were stories in Washington Post & New York Times but President Clinton specifically avoided calling the killings a genocide to avoid U.S involvement. The U.S would have no participation in stopping the Rwandan Genocide.A UN peacekeeping operation was sent to Rwanda in April but they failed to be an benefit and they weren't very well equipped. Quickly medical supplies ran out with no money to restock and other supplies could rarely be
Realism is one of the oldest and most popular theories in International Relations. It offers a perspective about competition and power, and can be used to explain the actions between states. An example of realism is the U.S. reaction – or lack thereof – during the 1994 Rwandan genocide.
In 1994 in Rwanda, a million members of the Tutsi tribe were killed by members of the Hutu tribe in a massacre that took place while the world looked away. "Hotel Rwanda" is not the story of that massacre. It is the story of a hotel manager who saved the lives of 1,200 people by being, essentially, a very good hotel managerIn 1994 in Rwanda, a million members of the Tutsi tribe were killed by members of the Hutu tribe in a massacre that took place while the world looked away. "Hotel Rwanda" is not the story of that massacre. It is the story of a hotel manager who saved the lives of 1,200 people by being, essentially, a very good hotel managerIn 1994 in Rwanda, a million members of the Tutsi tribe were killed by members of the Hutu tribe in a massacre that took pla...
The Rwandan Genocide was a tragedy that happened in Rwanda during 1994 between April and June. An estimated eight-hundred-thousand deaths of Tutsi people occurred during this time however the exact number is unknown. A variety of circumstances allowed this to happen such as: mass propaganda used to dehumanize and the Tutsi people; rationalization targeted the majority that genocide of Tutsi would be good for the country; denial by those with the power to stop the mass killing; and complicity in the face of genocide by multiple countries. Although the crime of genocide is recognizable as it follows deliberate and hauntingly similar patterns, it still happened to the Tutsi people when it should not have.
In 1994, after the Rwandan president’s plane mysteriously blew up when returning from meeting with the “Tutsi Rebels” that left the country forty years before. Interhamwe ,a Hutu gang, blamed the Tutsi for the president’s death and used that for an excuse to begin slaughtering the Tutsi citizens in Rwanda. Approximately one million people died in the thirty days that this genocide took place. I believe that outside nations ,such as the United States, should have intervened and tried to stop the genocide.
Conflict Essay Pure hatred for a group or thing cannot be masked with love and kindness; you have a burning passion to destroy or take that group or thing down. When genocide happens you either feel powerful once more or you feel lost in the world. “You will never see the source of a genocide. It is buried too deep in grudges, under an accumulation of misunderstandings that we were the last to inherit.