Overview:
The 1994 Rwandan Genocide is one of the most devastating cases of genocide of the 20th century. This case fits the definition of ‘genocide’ because there are evidences suggesting that there were “clear and premeditated attempts at exterminating the ethnic Tutsi population” (“Children of Rwanda’s Genocide”). The mass killings by ethnic Hutus armed with machetes began on April 6th and ended mid- July 1994. This genocide is known for the ‘scale and speed’ of the killings, as an estimated 800,000 Rwandans were killed in the time span of a 100 days (“Rwanda: How the Genocide Happened”). It is also estimated that by the end of the genocide (i.e. when the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) declared ceasefire and took full control) nearly 1 million people had died.
The main perpetrators of this genocide are the two Hutu Radical Militant groups: the Interahamwe (which means "those who attack together" (“Rwanda: How the Genocide Happened”), and the Impuzamugambi. The Interahamwe was composed of young Hutu men who were brainwashed to believe in the ‘Hutu Power’ ideology (“Rawandan Genocide”). These men were backed by the Hutu-led state government of Rwanda, the Rwandan Army, businessmen, politicians and Rwandan civilians. The Rwandan Army is guilty of arming and directing militants, dispatching killing orders and participating in the rounding up victims (“Rwandan Genocide | World Without Genocide”). These organized militant groups broadcasted propaganda through the Radio Television Libres Des Mille Collines (RTLM) and created incentives to kill the “Tutsi cockroach” (“Rwanda: A Brief History of the Country”). Hutu Rwandan civilians were either forced to kill their Tutsi neighbor or rewarded with food, money or land that once belonged to the Tutsis they killed. Therefore, the victims were not only limited to the Tutsis (refugee Tutsis included), but also included moderate Hutus and Hutu sympathizers (“Rwanda Genocide Timeline”).
Relations between the Tutsis and Hutus had been tense prior to the genocide. Along with this, Rwanda was facing a bad economic situation and the formation of the Rwandan patriotic front posed a threat to the Hutu extremists. Yet, the genocide was sparked by the death of the Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana (a Hutu) on April 6, 1994. Along with him, the president of Burundi and many chief members of staff also perished in the plane attack. The initiator behind the rocket attack that shot down Habyarimana’s plane is unknown. However, within hours, violence spread throughout the capital (Kigali) and did not subside for the next three months.
Relations between the Tutsis and Hutus had been tense prior to the genocide. Along with this, Rwanda was facing a bad economic situation and the formation of the Rwandan patriotic front posed a threat to the Hutu extremists. Yet, the genocide was sparked by the death of the Rwandan President Juvénal Habyarimana (a Hutu) on April 6, 1994. Along with him, the president of Burundi and many chief members of staff also perished in the plane attack. The initiator behind the rocket attack that shot down Habyarimana’s plane is unknown. However, within hours, violence spread throughout the capital (Kigali) and did not subside for the next three months.