Rwanda - What happened?

[CopperGoat]

Hey everyone. Today I was going through my civics book, and saw an article about Louise Arbour, who is a Chief Prosecutor for UN War Crimes Tribunals. Anyways, it was talking about human rights violations in Rwanda. I have a question. What happened there? wasn't there a massacre done by the US army there or something?

Thanx for the info.

[Umoja]

The massacre was most definately not done by the United States Army. It was done by two ethnic groups, the Hutu's and the Tutsi's. It was also a mix of class struggle, because over time because of the British exalting the more Ethiopian looking Tutsi's, compared to the Bantu looking Hutu's. The Tutsi's thus became the richer ones and over time Tutsi began to mean rich person. Once the British left though this situation fell apart. I'm not sure what made this hit a breaking point in the 90's though, I think a President of Rwanda who was a Hutu was in a plane crash? I am not to sure. My fathers friend has much more knowledge on the subject.

[CopperGoat]

Thanx for the info! I'm glad it's cleared up now.

[andresG]

In Amnesty International we are reading We wish to inform you that tomorrow we will be killed with our families- STORIES FROM RWANDA- by Philip Gourevitch (ISBN 0-312-24335-9). It gives a very detailed and informative account of the events.

[Severian]

Well, y'know, France and the U.S. did have a certain role in it. The regime that carried out the massacres was French-supported, and France had some troops in the country, who held back the advance of the rebels and enabled some of the regime's soldiers and the militia who carried out the massacres to escape Rwanda.

The rebels (Rwandan Patriotic Front) were supported by the U.S. They're the current government of Rwanda, which is intervening in the Congo, supported by the U.S., and doing some fairly nasty things their.

So the whole thing was in part an episode in the rivalry of two imperialist powers, the U.S. moving in on France's sphere of influence in Africa, and exploiting tribal/ethnic tensions for their own interests.

[CopperGoat]

Alright thanx. I knew there was something about the US and French being there.

[Umoja]

I'm not sure if the US alone wants to F with the Congo. I know Zimbabwe has troops over there as well, I don't just blindly want to dump the blame on the USA, despite my dislike of my fair country.

[FabFabian]

A correction needs to be made. It was the Belgians who ruled Rwanda, not the British. The British Empire was big yes, but they were not the only colonizers in the world. :)

[Menshevik]

Rwanda. . . 1 million people hacking each other to pieces with machetes and then lighting one another on fire with gasoline, while the rest of the world sits back and watches. Thousands more will die because of the spread of AIDS during the civil war there.

[float_613]

The animosity began when the Belgian colonisers favoured the Tutsi minority over the Hutu majority, they used demeaning methods such as measuring thier skulls to determine who was who. They issued identity cards. When independance came power was transferred to the majority - Hutu. Violence ensued. Tutsi in Uganda who were not accepted as citizens in Uganda or allowed back into Rwanda. Paul Kagame started the Rwandan Patriotic Front and invaded Rwanda in 1990 with the intent to return all Tutsi to thier home in Rwanda.
Hutu extremists circulated anti-Tutsi propaganda through radio Mille Collines and the Hutu Ten Commandments.
The genocide was sparked when, then President, Juvenal Habyarimana's plane crashed after signing the Arusha Accords in Tanzania. The Arusha Accords were to give Tutsi's some power in a Hutu government. Some believe that the rebels (Tutsi) shot the plane down, some believe it was Hutu radicals wanting an excuse to begin the killings. Many moderate-Hutu were forced to engage in the killing.
In a 100 day period nearly 1 million Tutsi and Hutu were killed, mainly by the Rwandan Armed Forces (FAR, who were supplied by the French) and the Interhamwe (a militia trained by the FAR). But the Rwandan Patriotic Front (rebel group) probably killed innocents too.
The lack of international presence was felt, only about 300 UN troops were situated in the entire country and even in 'safe areas' killing continued.
After the genocide Rwanda was one of the 2 least developed nation in the world with 70% of people living in poverty. Most women who suvived were raped and most people had lost at least one close relative.

[Comrade_Scott]

Rwanda and kosovo were the bigest mistakes the un has ever made in my eyes. so many lives were lost and the UN stood by doing nothing even though they wanted to.... how can you keep peace if there is no peace to be kept? if there is no peace to be kept then in my eyes defend the innocent villagers from both waring factions but thats just my view

- comrade scott

[Invader Zim]

Originally posted by [email protected] 10, 2003 09:31 pm
The massacre was most definately not done by the United States Army. It was done by two ethnic groups, the Hutu's and the Tutsi's. It was also a mix of class struggle, because over time because of the British exalting the more Ethiopian looking Tutsi's, compared to the Bantu looking Hutu's. The Tutsi's thus became the richer ones and over time Tutsi began to mean rich person. Once the British left though this situation fell apart. I'm not sure what made this hit a breaking point in the 90's though, I think a President of Rwanda who was a Hutu was in a plane crash? I am not to sure. My fathers friend has much more knowledge on the subject.
Quite, though I think you are somewhat confused as to which European empire it was that fucked up Rwanda - while the British empire most certainly is the guilty party in many of the troubles which now afflict Africa they never actually controlled Rwanda. It was the German Empire that ruled Rwanda and later Belgium, not the British empire.

[Janus]

Was it really necessary to revive this 3 year old thread?

[Ol' Dirty]

See Hotel Rwanda. Great film. Made me cry. :(

[combat]

Rwanda cut its diplomatic relationship with France today. The French embassador is expected to leave the country within 24 hours. The best movie to watch is "Sometimes in April", much stronger than "Hotel Rwanda" by the way, but you won't be able to sleep for a few nights after that.