Causes and Effects of the Rwandan Genocide

Introduction

Wikipedia defines Genocide as the “systematic destruction of all or a significant part of a racial, ethnic, religious or national group”.

During one of humanity 's darkest periods, a tragedy that spanned one hundred short days, triggered in April 1994 and summarily ended in July of the same year witnessed the senseless eradication of approximately eight hundred thousand of the minority Tutsi tribe’s men, women and children, all citizens of Rwanda.

Class distinction is cited as one of the main reasons for this genocide, the Hutu majority mistrusted the Tutsi minority who were seen as elite members of society. This distinction became more pronounced shortly after World War One when the Belgians assumed control of Rwanda. They were instrumental in growing the tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes by rewarding Tutsis with Western education and denying Hutus any economical and political powers to the Hutus. The 1963 national election saw the Hutu’s emerge victorious in those elections. As soon as the Hutus came to power, they began discriminating against the Tutsis, resulting in many Tutsis fleeing to Uganda.

In 1990, the civil war in Rwanda brought an end to a ceasefire that was signed by the Hutu president. Records indicate that the most important and probably one of the final causes that saw in the start of the genocide was the assassination of President Habyarimana, whose plane was shot down. The Hutus