Crisis: Rwanda, 1994
Unit 1 – AfricaLesson 10 – Crisis – Rwanda 1994
Your Name ______________________________
Period ______________
The Crisis
• Genocide: killing of an entire race of people
• Hutu rebels slaughtered Tutsi ethnic minority
• Killed nearly 1 million Tutsis
• Goal: eliminate them from existence
The background to hatred
• Hutus were angry at Tutsis
• For years, Rwanda was a colony of Belgium
• Belgium used Tutsi minority to rule
• Issued passbooks to show tribal identity
• Hutus were a majority, but had no power
More background to the hatred
• Prior to 1962 Independence, Hutus started attacking Tutsis
• 100,000 escaped to neighboring countries
• They formed the Rwanda Patriotic Front army (RPF)
• They attacked from the outside
Hutus prepare to eliminate the Tutsis
• Every time the RPF attacked, the Hutu government retaliated with slaughter and repression of Tutsis
• 1973 – a Hutu general overthrew the government in a military coup
• He ruled as a dictatorJuvénal Habyarimana
The 1990 Civil War• Foreign investment grew the
economy• Attacks diminished,
population grew, all seemed OK.
• Mostly, Hutus prospered, Tutsis did not
• Suddenly, in 1990, the RPF attacked, a Civil War started, and weakened the President
• 1993 – the Hutu President was forced to sign a peace treaty
The beginning of the conflict• Hutus were livid. Some formed civilian run
militant group (Interhamwe) to combat RPF• 1994, a plane carrying the Presidents of
Rwanda and Burundi was shot down • Hutus blamed RPF• Interhamwe coordinated attacks on Tutsis
The Rwanda Crisis, 1993• RPF (Tutsi rebel army)• INTERHAMWE (civilian Hutu thugs)• RWANDA MILITARY (sided with Hutus)
• Extremist Hutu set up road blocks and killed all Tutsi and moderate Hutu
• Forced civilians to take up arms and rat out neighbors
• Tutsis were being exterminated
Murders grew to the thousands
Refugees grew the millions
Refugee camp
The “real” Hotel Rwanda guys
Gen Romeo Dallaire
Paul Rusesabagina
Don CheadleNick Nolteclick
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