"There is a saying in Rwanda that Rwandans must swallow their tears. They do. If they did not, they would surely drown."

Rwanda

Conflict in East Africa By 1970’s most of East Africa had gained independence from European countries. East African nations not prepared for independence Boundaries forced cultural divisions among different ethnicities

The red lines represent the true ethnic boundaries throughout Africa

About the size of Maryland

Genocide = the systematic and planned extermination of an entire national, racial, political, or ethnic group

Some 800,000 to a million Rwandans were slaughtered in just 100 days during the 1994 genocide. The Rwandan government and the United Nations are trying to bring those responsible to justice

How did the genocide happen? Rwanda was divided between 2 ethnic groups. The Hutus, who made up 85% of the population and the Tutsi minority (15%) which formed the elite upper class.

Rwanda Under Colonial Rule Belgium colonized Rwanda and favored the Tutsi MINORITY (only 15% of the population) This led to tension between the Tutsi and the Hutus Rwanda got its independence in 1962 An election was held to establish a leader of Rwanda and the Hutu party gained control (makes sense given they were the MAJORITY population)

In 1994, the Hutu government was desperately trying to stop the advance of the Tutsi rebels (RPF—Rwandan Patriotic Forces) who were trying to gain back control of the country A plane carrying the Hutu president was shot down. Within hours, some members of the government organized Hutu militias across the country to systematically kill Tutsi in response to the Hutu president’s place being shot down.

Checkpoints were set up at which anyone whose identity card showed they were Tutsi was killed; either shot or more often hacked to death with machetes

Neighbors killed neighbors and those moderate Hutus who refused to take part were also slaughtered. Even nuns and priests have been found guilty of taking part in the genocide…in 100 days, almost 1,000,000 people died

What did the international community do? The world did little to stop the massacres The UN set up an international court to try the ringleaders; however it has been said to be inefficient, and corrupt.

These trials did not begin until March of 2005, more than a decade after the genocides

To help the world know what happened in Rwanda a film was made in 2004, Hotel Rwanda. It is the story of the genocides and how Paul Rusesabagina, a manager of an elegant colonial hotel saved more than 1,200 people from certain death.