The Rwandan Genocide
Created by: Kelly Rohe and Tatum Brown, Johnson/2nd, 2/11/14
Cause Initiating the Rwanda Genocide
The death of Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana represented the initiation of the Rwandan massacre. Juvenal Habyarimana, a member of the Hutu tribe, was traveling on an airplane on April 6 of 1994 when it was allegedly shot down by current Rwandan President, Paul Kagame, who served as the chief commander of a Tutsi rebel organization. Violence and mass carnage erupted between the two Rwandan dialect tribes, resulting in the deaths of over 800,000 Rwandan residents. The primary supply of the dead accounted for members of the Tustsi tribe. Those who perpetrated the violence primarily accounted for members of the Hutu tribe.
Immediate Effects That the Rwandan Genocide Posed
The effects immediately following the death of Rwandan President Habyarimana resulted in the eruption of violence and confrontation throughout the entirety of the Rwandan region. Following the death of President Habyarimana, Hutu extremists launched plans to eradicate the Tutsi population in its entirety, as this tribe encompassed the men who were allegedly responsible for killing Habyarimana. Leaders that possessed the potential to seize these malicious plans were immediately slaughtered to ensure the prevention of any potential obstructions or obstructors. All individuals of Tutsi or of suspected Tutsi descent and ancestry were brutally killed by extremist members of the Hutu tribe. Many women were raped and entire families slaughtered by members of the opposing Hutu tribe. Any individuals attempting to hide or flee from the region were equally brutalized and slaughtered. It is estimated that over 800,000 Tutsis were killed throughout the duration of this 100 day genocide.
Prolonged Effects of the Rwandan Genocide
There are multiple prolonged effects that have resulted due to the occurrence of this genocide. For example, animosity, turmoil, and conflict remain in existence between the two dialect Rwandan tribes, warranting confrontation and violence that has accounted for the accumulative deaths of over five million Rwandan residents. Alternately, following the genocide, the government specific to Rwanda adopted and adapted far more Tutsi-oriented practices, ideologies, and customs. These are the factors that continue to challenge the region of Rwanda and its corresponding residents.