Reforming Rwanda Essay - 1157 Words

Reforming Rwanda Reforming Rwanda is not an easy task and cannot be accomplished overnight. The need for reform is unavoidable in Rwanda. Throughout this country’s history there have been many cases of civil unrest and violence. Perhaps the most recognized event in Rwanda was the genocide of 1994. The issues leading up to the killings, the genocide itself, and the changes made after are all important to Rwanda’s future and its ability to reform. Rwanda’s Civil War began on October 2, 1990 and greatly contributed to the country’s decline into violence and mass murder. The war was between the government of the current president, Juvà ©nal Habyarimana and the Rwanda Patriotic Front(RPF). The war was allegedly ended on August 4, 1993 when†¦show more content†¦Unfortunately all efforts towards peace were lost with the assassination of Habyarimana. Ethnic strife was also a major contributor towards the genocide. The two major social divisions were the Tutsi and Hutu. In Rwanda’s early history the Hutu were considered second class below the Tutsi. The Tutsi were generally the rulers and Hutus could only reach Tutsi status by success or marriage (Taylor 17). However later in history the Hutus became more favored and powerful. To ensure power would remain with the Hutus, extremists created the Hutu Power. The Hutu Power was an ideology practiced by Hutu radicals. It established the thought of Tutsis as invaders and suppressors. The Hutus wanted a â€Å"pure† Rwanda, free from Tutsi people and their influence. While peace negotiations were taking place after the Rwanda Civil War, radical Hutus were claiming that Habyarimana, the president, was being persuaded by the Tutsi and non-radical Hutus (Jones 146). After his assassination, the Hutu extremists organized mobs to kill a mass number of people, which became known as the Rwanda Genocide. The Rwanda Genocide happened between April and June of 1994. There was an estima ted 800,000 killed. The majority of people killed were the Tutsi. The genocide was not caused by just one person or one group of people, but Hutu extremists certainly supported the mass killings of their rivals, the Tutsi. In some cases, moderate Hutus were forced to kill Tutsis by theShow MoreRelatedThe Genocide in Rwanda 1001 Words   |  5 PagesPaul Kagame, the President of Rwanda, once quoted that, â€Å"When we are unified, working together, no challenge is insurmountable† (Arnlaugsdottir). His quote holds meaning and truth as within the past twenty years, Rwanda has worked miraculously to rebuild and reunite the country that was left disheveled by social conflict and genocide. There are many factors that have contributed to the reconstruction of Rwanda, including international assistance, gacaca courts and International Criminal TribunalRead MoreConflict Is A Old As Mankind1230 Words   |  5 PagesAugust with the signing of the Arusha Accords to create a power shari ng government. 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