Rwanda: A History of Colonialism, Ethnic Conflict, and Genocide

Rwanda, a small country, has had a diverse history. The ethnic Twa were the initial inhabitants, followed by Hutu farmers in the 10th century and Tutsi warriors with cattle in the 14th century. A monarchy was established by the Tutsi by the 16th century. Despite sharing language and culture, racial tensions did not surface until the 20th century.

Germany initially colonized Rwanda in 1899, but during World War I, Belgium took control. The Belgians were granted a League of Nations mandate in 1919 and implemented policies that exacerbated ethnic tensions by favoring the Tutsi over the Hutu and Twa groups, resulting in pervasive racism and serious social problems.

Rwanda was designated as a UN trust territory in 1946 and placed under Belgian administration. Tension escalated in the 1950s when Hutus pushed for rights and voting privileges, leading to violence after an attack on a Hutu sub-chief by Tutsis. This resulted in many Tutsis either perishing or fleeing to neighboring nations. Belgian troops intervened and implemented policy changes that led to a government controlled by Hutus.

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The monarchy was abolished in 1961 amidst democratization movements in Africa, culminating in Rwanda's independence in 1962 and its division into two separate countries: Rwanda and Burundi.

In the 1960s, Tutsi exiles attacked Hutu, leading to the end of the First Republic in 1973 when a rebellion by Hutu Minister of Defense Juvenal Habyarimana took place. The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), formed by Tutsi rebels from Uganda in 1990, invaded Rwanda. A peace agreement was reached in 1993 but was broken when Habyarimana's plane was shot down in April 1994.

Though it was unclear who caused the crash, Hutus were blamed and violence initially targeted opposing Hutu politicians before turning exclusively against Tutsis.The end of the Second Republic marked the beginning of a 100-day genocidal rampage, with hundreds of thousands fleeing to neighboring countries. The RPF gained control on July 4, 1994, causing more displacement and casualties. Hutu refugees faced violence in 1996, sparking conflicts with Tutsi soldiers. Rwanda intervened in Zaire to defeat Hutu militias, later bringing most refugees back home. Some remained to launch guerilla attacks. Courts tried 124,000 individuals for genocide crimes, and the first Hutu president was elected in 2000. War crime trials continue to this day.

Although Rwanda continues to grapple with the lasting effects of its historical scars, the country is currently dealing with challenges such as a fragile economy and limited industrial growth. The majority of Rwandans are subsistence farmers, growing crops like coffee, tea, bananas, beans, cassava, cattle, pyrethrum, sorghum, and sweet potatoes. Rwanda's mining industry is focused on tin and wolframite resources due to constraints in other areas while insufficient fertile land restricts agricultural expansion. Additionally, restricted trading relationships with other nations pose further obstacles to Rwanda's economic development.

In the early 20th century, missionaries introduced Christianity to Rwanda, leading to 65% of the population being Catholic, 9% Protestant, and 1% Muslim, while the remaining 25% follow indigenous beliefs. The two main ethnic groups in Rwanda are Hutu and Tutsi, who coexist harmoniously. Approximately 90% of Rwandans are Hutu, with most of the remainder being Tutsi and only 1% belonging to the Twa ethnic group. Official languages spoken in Rwanda include English, French, and Kinyarwanda, a Bantu language.

Independence Day is observed on July 1st. The government comprises the President and the Transitional National Assembly, which consists of 70 seats. Local elections are held to establish councils that handle local conflicts, minor crimes, tax collection, and provide compensation for teachers and doctors. The country faces challenges related to high population density and various health issues.

Imperialism primarily caused most of the issues in Rwanda during the last century, leading to the genocide which not only impacted Rwanda but also its neighboring country, Burundi. The deep-rooted racism and animosity within Africa can be traced back to the colonial structures imposed first by Germany and then by Belgium. Dowden notes that the Tutsi minority, comprising only 10% of the population, was seen as a feudal aristocracy dominating over the Hutu majority. The Belgians privileged the Tutsis in education, resulting in their dominance in professional roles.

Before the arrival of Europeans, Africa experienced peace. However, with the greedy occupation of African lands by 19th century European politicians, the continent faced enslavement and abuse, leading to ethnic conflicts and a century of bloodshed. The presence of imperialism was a factor that could have prevented these conflicts and current issues in Africa, including a genocide where hundreds of thousands of innocent people were brutally slaughtered over a span of 100 days.

LaFraniere pointed out that the Rwanda genocide is considered as one of the worst ethnic massacres since the Holocaust. In a span of just 100 days, an estimated one in 10 Tutsi in Rwanda were killed, along with many moderate Hutu individuals. The perpetrators were highly effective, using sharpened sticks, nail-studded clubs, and grenades to hunt down Tutsi at checkpoints and on the streets. Some historians argue that their effectiveness even exceeded that of the Nazis. The current economic crisis in Rwanda and the ongoing suffering of its people could have been prevented if not for the animosity and neglect of imperialistic European nations in the 19th and early 20th centuries.

Bibliography

1. Hilsum, Lindsey. "Men mad with killing drown nation in blood". The Independent. 1 May 1994.

2. The article by Richard Dowden titled "A wound at the heart of Africa" was published in The Independent on 11 May 1994.

3. LaFraniere, Sharon. "3 convicted of genocide in Rwanda: Media chiefs found guilty of inciting massacre of Tutsi in 1994". International Herald Tribune. 4 Dec. 2003.

World Book Encyclopedia 2003, Volume 16.

Culture Grams 2004.