Today marks 21 years since the start of the 100-day Rwandan Genocide, which left between 500,000 and 800,000 dead with historical accounts pushing that number closer to 1 million. The mass slaughter in Rwanda was the byproduct of the ruling government’s quest for dominance over another clan in the African nation.
President Barack Obama issued a statement Tuesday morning (April 7) regarding the Rwandan Genocide, noting the horrific nature of the event and pledging support from the United States government to Rwanda.
From President Obama:
Today is a day to commemorate those who lost their lives, to honor the courage of those who risked their lives to save others, and to grieve with the Rwandan people. It is also a day to reaffirm what our common humanity demands—that we stand together to prevent mass atrocities and continue to do all we can to make good on the pledge of “never again.” We also renew our commitment to help finish the task of bringing to justice those who inflicted such tragedy upon such a beautiful land.
In memory of those who died over the course of the Rwandan Genocide, Hip-Hop Wired has compiled 10 facts about that moment in time. And to Rwanda and Rwandans everywhere, we say, “Ubumwe, Umurimo, Gukunda Igihugu” – Unity, Work, Patriotism.
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Photo: I, Inisheer/CC BY-SA 3.0
Did Colonialism Plant The Early Seeds Of Genocide
In Rwanda, the major clans are the Hutus, who were the so-called ethnic majority, and the Tutsis. Essentially, these tribes were how the classes were defined. Hutus were farmers while Tutsis worked with livestock in older times. Cattle was more valuable than land, so the Tutsi became the elites. When Belgium seized the land from Germany in 1917, the Tutsi tribe ruled for a time. This created a “divide and conquer” environment between the ethnic groups and continued after the country went independent in 1962.
The Genocide Was Sparked By The Rwandan Civil War
The Rwandan Civil War that occurred between 1990 and 1993. When Rwanda’s third president Juvénal Habyarimana’s plane was shot down in April 1994, the war resumed until July of that year. To this day, observers argue over who shot down the plane. Rwandan Patriotic Front, the ruling party of Rwanda today led by president Paul Kagame, was said to be behind the killing. Some say Hutu extremist shot down that plane because they didn’t want Habyarimana’s negotiating United Nations enforced peace terms with the RPF. Burundi’s president, Cyprien Ntaryamira, was also on the plane.
Hutu Power Leaders Began The Eliminate The Tutsi
With President Habyarimana dead, the Hutu Power leaders ordered militias to kill Tutsis on sight. The Interahamwe militia, one of the more infamous ones, went from village to village killing thousands of Tutsi people per day. Some reports say that many as 8,000 were killed daily.
World Leaders Had Advance Warning, Did Little To Assist
The United Nations had a small peacekeeping task force on the ground for the proposed April peace talks. The UN had advance word that the genocide was coming early as January 1994 but didn’t implement any strategy for prevention. President Bill Clinton called the failure to act one of his greatest presidential regrets.
The Practice Of “War Rape” Caused Spike In HIV Infections
Reports of genocidal raping lead to the sexual assault, mutilation and murder of over 500,000 women by the Interahamwe began to spread. So devoted were the Hutus in eradicating Tutsis, even the women helped with the war rape. It was the first time such a practice became a tactic in eliminating a race of people. HIV infections spread at the time, and babies were being born to infected and assaulted mothers.
Barbaric Forms Of Murder Took Place
While the militias were armed with rifles and other firearms, many Hutu fighters hacked Tutsis to death with machetes and other crude weapons. In the aftermath of the killings, many were housed in squalor in a variety of refugee camps that were often under-protected.
Kagame’s RPF Was Relentless In Defending Tutsis And Moderate Hutus
Kagame’s savvy as a military leader proved fruitful as his forces advanced over much of the country and continued to attack the Hutu-led government structure.
France Allegedly Aligned Itself With The Hutus
The link between France and the Hutu Power leaders in Rwanda was long established. In 2008, France was accused of sending military troops to assist and train Hutu fighters against the rapidly advancing RPF forces. President Kagame still states France was in with the Hutus.
The United States Supported The Tutsis But Held Back
President Clinton aligned the United States with the Tutsis somewhat but kept his distance. However, U.S. troops were not sent to the region nor were their any other diplomatic moves or intervention undertaken by the administration. Clinton was quoted saying of the moment, “I don’t think we could have ended the violence, but I think we could have cut it down. And I regret it.”
The RPF Won Out In Ousting The Hutus
Kagames’s RPF forces were successful in beating back the Hutu offensive. Kagame was named vice president of Rwanda in the end of the genocide but actually ran the country as he controlled the army. Kagame has been Rwanda’s president officially since 2000. There have been major improvements made in Rwanda, but there are some who say Kagame has rigged the democratic process in his party’s favor.
