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Tragic Series Of Events Prior To The Rwanda Genocide

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Genocide, the calculated mass killing of a particular group of people with the goal of complete annihilation. The Rwanda Genocide, a tragic series of events where 800,000 to 1 million people were brutally murdered in 1994 from April to July, lasting approximately 100 days, targeting Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The roots of tension can be traced back to the 1860s during the reign of King Rwabugiri (1867-1895), who favored the Tutsis by assigning them higher status roles and paying jobs. This bias continued during the Belgian administration, which began in 1919 when Rwanda became a mandate territory of the League of Nations. The long history of pressure between the Tutsis and Hutus set the stage for the Genocide. In Rwanda, three main ethnic …show more content…

This conflict began in 1990 when the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a group mostly made up of Tutsis, invaded Rwanda from Uganda. This invasion started up the long-standing ethnic tensions, which led to years of fighting and violence between the RPF and Hutu government forces. Laying the foundation for the genocide. Both sides committed many atrocities, but the Hutu government's propaganda campaigns against the Tutsis significantly escalated the situation. Peter Uvin states “Prior to the genocide, Rwanda was entangled in a civil war. This conflict began in 1990 when the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), a group mostly made up of Tutsis, invaded Rwanda from Uganda. This invasion started up the long-standing ethnic tensions, which led to years of fighting and violence between the RPF and Hutu government forces. Laying the foundation for the genocide. Both sides committed many atrocities, but the Hutu government's propaganda campaigns against the Tutsis significantly escalated the situation.”. This quote highlights a specific event caused by the Hutu government's use of manipulation and propaganda where they staged a false attack on Kigali and blamed the Tutsis. This technique was used to deceive the international community and justify the imprisonment of thousands of Tutsis. This illustrates the consequences and dangers of spreading misinformation and false

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