The Hutu and Tutsi of Rwanda
Between April and June 1994, an estimated 800,000 Rwandans were killed in the space of 100 days. Most of the dead were Tutsis - and most of those who caused the violence were Hutus.
The genocide was sparked by the death of the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, when his plane was shot down above Kigali airport on April 6, 1994. Most have blamed current Rwandan President, Paul Kagame - at the time the leader of a Tutsi rebel group - and some of his close associates for carrying out the rocket attack. President Kagame denies this and says it was the work of Hutu extremists, in order to provide a excuse to carry out their plans to exterminate the Tutsi community.
Whoever was responsible, within hours a campaign of violence spread from the capital throughout the country, and did not subside until three months later. But the death of the president was by no means the only cause of Africa's largest genocide in modern times.
Ethnic issues in Rwanda is nothing new. There have been always been disagreements between the majority Hutus and minority Tutsis, but the hatred between them has grown substantially since the early 20th century.
The two ethnic groups are actually very similar - they speak the same language, inhabit the same areas and follow the same traditions. However, Tutsis are often taller and thinner than Hutus, with some saying their origins lie in Ethiopia. During the genocide, the bodies of Tutsis were thrown into rivers, with their killers saying they were being sent back to Ethiopia.
When the Belgian colonists arrived in 1916, they produced identity cards classifying people according to their ethnicity. The Belgians considered the Tutsis to be superior to the Hutus. Not surprisingly, the Tutsis welcomed this idea, and for the next 20 years they enjoyed better jobs and educational opportunities than their neighbours.
Resentment among the Hutus gradually built up, ending in a series of riots in 1959. More than 20,000 Tutsis were killed, and many more fled to the neighbouring countries of Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda.
When Belgium relinquished power and granted Rwanda independence in 1962, the Hutus took their place. Over the following decades, the Tutsis took the blame for every crisis.
This was still the case in the years before the genocide, and when Habyarimana's plane was shot down at the beginning of April 1994, it was the final nail in the coffin. No one knows exactly who killed him.
In the capitol city of Kigali, the presidential guard immediately initiated a campaign of revenge. Leaders of the political opposition were murdered, and almost immediately, the slaughter of Tutsis began.
Within hours, recruits were dispatched all over the country to carry out a wave of slaughter. Some Tutsis managed to escape to refugee camps.
Encouraged by the presidential guard and radio propaganda, an unofficial militia group called the Interahamwe (meaning those who attack together) was formed and was 30,000-strong. Soldiers and police officers encouraged ordinary citizens to take part. In some cases, Hutu civilians were forced to murder their Tutsi neighbours by military personnel. Participants were often given incentives, such as money or food, and some were even told they could appropriate the land of the Tutsis they killed.
In the end, over 800,000 people were murdered.
The genocide was sparked by the death of the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana, a Hutu, when his plane was shot down above Kigali airport on April 6, 1994. Most have blamed current Rwandan President, Paul Kagame - at the time the leader of a Tutsi rebel group - and some of his close associates for carrying out the rocket attack. President Kagame denies this and says it was the work of Hutu extremists, in order to provide a excuse to carry out their plans to exterminate the Tutsi community.
Whoever was responsible, within hours a campaign of violence spread from the capital throughout the country, and did not subside until three months later. But the death of the president was by no means the only cause of Africa's largest genocide in modern times.
Ethnic issues in Rwanda is nothing new. There have been always been disagreements between the majority Hutus and minority Tutsis, but the hatred between them has grown substantially since the early 20th century.
The two ethnic groups are actually very similar - they speak the same language, inhabit the same areas and follow the same traditions. However, Tutsis are often taller and thinner than Hutus, with some saying their origins lie in Ethiopia. During the genocide, the bodies of Tutsis were thrown into rivers, with their killers saying they were being sent back to Ethiopia.
When the Belgian colonists arrived in 1916, they produced identity cards classifying people according to their ethnicity. The Belgians considered the Tutsis to be superior to the Hutus. Not surprisingly, the Tutsis welcomed this idea, and for the next 20 years they enjoyed better jobs and educational opportunities than their neighbours.
Resentment among the Hutus gradually built up, ending in a series of riots in 1959. More than 20,000 Tutsis were killed, and many more fled to the neighbouring countries of Burundi, Tanzania and Uganda.
When Belgium relinquished power and granted Rwanda independence in 1962, the Hutus took their place. Over the following decades, the Tutsis took the blame for every crisis.
This was still the case in the years before the genocide, and when Habyarimana's plane was shot down at the beginning of April 1994, it was the final nail in the coffin. No one knows exactly who killed him.
In the capitol city of Kigali, the presidential guard immediately initiated a campaign of revenge. Leaders of the political opposition were murdered, and almost immediately, the slaughter of Tutsis began.
Within hours, recruits were dispatched all over the country to carry out a wave of slaughter. Some Tutsis managed to escape to refugee camps.
Encouraged by the presidential guard and radio propaganda, an unofficial militia group called the Interahamwe (meaning those who attack together) was formed and was 30,000-strong. Soldiers and police officers encouraged ordinary citizens to take part. In some cases, Hutu civilians were forced to murder their Tutsi neighbours by military personnel. Participants were often given incentives, such as money or food, and some were even told they could appropriate the land of the Tutsis they killed.
In the end, over 800,000 people were murdered.