1. Rwanda

2. Rwandan Geography Located in East- Central Africa
Landlocked, but located on Lake Kivu
Well known for its lush countryside and arable land

3. Early History
Hutu population first arrived from Congo in the 10th Century (900s)
Tutsis arrived in the 15th Century and conquered the Hutus (1400s)
Tutsis created a feudal system
Hutus became serfs
Tutsis maintained their superiority and feudal system until the arrival of the Europeans in the 19th Century (1800s)
The difference between the two would come to focus on wealth, determined by number cows

4. Rwanda and the Europeans
Traders first arrived in 1858
Germans arrived in after the Berlin Conference
The Mwami, or Tutsi kings, accepted Germans without a fight
Germans ruled the territory until 1918
Belgians appointed as the protector by the League of Nations

5. Life Under Belgian Rule
The Tutsi kings were allowed to continue to rule
Tutsis represented only 15% of the population
Only Tutsi males were educated
Coffee was established as a cash crop
ID cards were required to be carried at all times
Made it impossible to change from Hutu to Tutsi based on wealthy
Hutu resistance was violently suppressed – amputation was a standard punishment

6. 1959 Hutu Rebellion
Hutus began speaking out against inequalities in the 1950s
The death of the king prompted many Hutus to rebel
Hutus began fighting against Tutsis throughout the country
Hutus successfully overthrew the government and gained control
Beginnings of independence

7. Independence 1960 – Elections were held after the Hutu Revolution
Gregoire Kayibanda was elected Prime Minister
1961 – Parliament abolished the Tutsi monarchy and declared Rwanda to be a republic
July 1, 1962 – Belgium is pressured by the UN to grant Rwanda its independence
Kayibanda served as President and was re-elected in ‘65 and ‘69

8. Life after Independence
1964 – Exiled Tutsis invade Rwanda and attempt coup
Hutu army defeats rebels and respond by killing Tutsis
1973 – President Kayibanda is overthrow in a military coup by Juvenal Habyarimana
Habyarimana operates as a dictator
1990 –Rwandan Patriotic Front, led by Paul Kagame (Tutsi), attacks to gain control of the government
1993 – UN brokers a deal to share power between the two and peacekeepers are sent to Rwanda

9. Build up to Genocide
Directions: With a partner, brainstorm the answers to the following questions:
What is the historical relationship between the Hutus and the Tutsis?
What in Rwanda’s history could have contributed to the genocide?
What event do you think was the most influential in the years before the genocide?

10. Genocide April 1994 – President Habyarimana’s plane is shot down
Systematic killing of Tutsis and moderate Hutus begins immediately
Rwandan Patriotic Front begins to fight against Hutu Army
Country dissolves into
civil war
Hutus flee Rwanda for
neighboring Burundi and
the Congo

13. After the Genocide UN troops remained until 1996
Paul Kagame preparing to vote
After the Genocide
UN troops remained until 1996
Tutsis and Hutus continued to fight over the borders of the Democratic Republic of the Congo and Uganda
May 2003 – A new constitution was ratified
August 2003 – RPF leader Paul Kagame is elected president of Rwanda
Kagame has been accused of censoring opposition

14. Rwanda Today 2008 GDP Per Capita = $427 64% literacy rate
The average student is in school until the age of 9
Average primary school has 66 students for every teacher
17% urban population, 83% rural
2.1% population growth rate per year
Average life expectancy =41 years of age
Doctors = 1 per 10,000 people

15. Rwanda Today Is Rwanda Developed, Developing, or Least Developed?
Directions: With a partner, brainstorm the answers to the following questions
Is Rwanda Developed, Developing, or Least Developed?
How has Rwanda’s history affected its current status?
What is the biggest problem facing Rwanda today?

16. Applying Rwanda to Africa
With a partner/small group: Identify at least 2 problems that Rwanda has suffered as a result of imperialism – Be sure to identify how it is connected to imperialism!