Genocide in Rwanda

Genocide is the systematic extermination of a specific group. Genocides have occurred around the world for thousands of years. There are many causes, effects and ways of solving genocides that are being discovered. One of the more recent genocides was in Rwanda, a small country in Africa. The Rwandan genocide was one of the worst genocides in history. More people were killed in 90 days in Rwanda than in other entire genocides. Two rival factions, the Hutus and the Tutsis battled for control of Rwanda for years. Hundreds of thousands of people were killed. As Jack Shwartz, a longtime New York newspaper editor once said, “ Genocide is an attempt to exterminate a people, not to alter their behavior.” In Rwanda, some people thought that by killing everyone of another race, their own race would triumph. This idea led to one of the bloodiest mass killings on record. The causes, effects and solutions for genocides are many and varied, but if humanity is to survive we must understand genocide in order to prevent further killings .

Genocides often arise from racial intolerance, fears of or stereotypes about certain groups of people, or disagreements between groups in power and ones that feel oppressed. Because people are ignorant of the true nature of certain groups, or believe that they are being unfairly treated by another group, they frequently begin to hate that group based on inaccurate or false information. In 1990 Rwanda became involved in a genocide between the minority Tutsis and the power-holding Hutus. The Tutsis had been exiled in the 1959 social revolution; however, they still strongly desired to return to their homeland. Hutus, afraid of the Tutsis returning to Rwanda and taking control of the government, began to circulate false rumors that the Tutsis were foreign to Rwanda and had no right to live there, that they were wealthy and in some way responsible for the poverty that plagued the Hutus, and finally that Tutsis as a group were a threat to the Hutus and that the Hutus needed to defend themselves. The last rumor proved to be the most effective in convincing Hutus to attack and kill Tutsis. The Tutsis declared that they would take power in Rwanda by any means necessary, including arms. The stage was set for genocide. Because of the lies told by the Hutu government, and the stereotypes believed by each side regarding the other, what might have been resolved by thoughtful negotiation instead turned into one of the worst mass killings the world has ever known.

Genocide had many effects on the country and on all of the people of Rwanda. After horrific mass killings, resulting in the deaths of up to one million people in 100 days, the fighting finally stopped. Statistics show that in the Rwandan genocide, six men, women and children were slaughtered every sixty seconds. This brutal pace continued for over three months. The effects of the war on Rwanda and its people were devastating. Eleven percent of Rwanda's female population was sexually assaulted during the “rape campaign.” On average, four women were violently sexually attacked during every minute of every hour of the day for 100 days. By the end of the genocide, approximately 13 percent of the population of Rwanda had HIV or AIDS. Many Hutus and Tutsis remain, to this day, angry at each other for the events that occurred during the killings. Many of those responsible for the killings have not been held accountable for their actions. Recently, however, the war-stricken country has started to rebuild itself and is slowly once again becoming stable.

Genocide can cause disruption and disturbance in an area for many years. The only way to help mend these wounds and curb the hatred is to try to educate people about those whom they believe to be their enemies. This can be accomplished by setting up programs and demonstrations that help people to realize that their so-called “enemies” are not really evil. Countries can heal slowly over time. Rwanda, home to one of the worst genocides in history, is beginning to recover -- racial differences are being addressed, people are gradually reconciling, and a country is beginning to put the horrors of the past behind it.

There are ways in which future genocides could be prevented or their impact decreased. By studying the causes and patterns of past genocides, we can determine ways to prevent genocides to come. Racial awareness must be increased within and between countries so that the kinds of stereotypes that lead to hate are not established. By helping to educate future generations about other groups of people, we brighten the prospect of having less hatred for others and less risk of genocide around the world. Another possible way to help limit the systematic extermination of groups is to amend political systems around the world so that power-based disputes are handled by discussion and negotiation rather than by physically battling for power. By doing this, we can help countries function more smoothly and make progress without the constant setbacks of war. It is our duty to do as much as we can to stop these atrocious, irrational mass killings and in the process make the world a better, safer place to live in.

If the human race is to survive, we must find ways to stop genocide by learning about the causes, effects and possible solutions to these mass killings. Even the least significant person can have an effect on the workings of the world. Write a letter to your congressman, protest, do whatever you can to help influence society to do something about current and future genocide and to do it now. Tell your representative(s) to look and see what is happening and what might happen around the world and act to prevent catastrophe. Hundreds of people die every day in genocides around the world; if people in our government see this and know how important it is to the American people to act, they will do something about it. With many people taking this small action, we may spark enough attention that our government has no choice but to respond. By preventing genocide, we help to prevent one of the biggest threats to mankind, the threat of destroying ourselves through hate. Jack Shwartz truly recognized the nature of genocide: by killing, we do not change anything; we only take the lives of the innocent, and all for nothing.

Works Cited

“Statistics Regarding Rwanda and the Genocide.” Survivers-fund.org. February 1, 2007. < http://www.survivors-fund.org.uk/history/stats_rwan.htm >

“The Rwandan Genocide: How it Was Prepared.” Hrw.org. February 1, 2007.

< http://hrw.org/backgrounder/africa/rwanda0406/ >

By: Jesse Shapiro