As we know, imperialist action on the African continent was responsible for several situations of conflict between native populations. One of the most regrettable fruits of this type of intervention developed when the Belgians, at the beginning of the 20th century, settled in the region of Rwanda. There we have the presence of Tutsis and Hutus, two ethnic groups that have long occupied the same region.
From a cultural point of view, Tutsis and Hutus shared a series of similarities for speaking the same language and following the same set of traditions. However, when the Belgians arrived in the region, they observed that these two ethnic groups differed due to some physical characteristics. Tutsis are generally taller, slender and lighter in complexion.
From the perspective of the Belgians, these characteristics were enough to believe that the Hutus – even being the majority of the population – would be morally and intellectually inferior to the Tutsis. In this way, the imperialists created a situation of hatred and socio-economic exclusion among the inhabitants of Rwanda. The distinctive policy of the Belgians went so far as to register on identity cards who were Tutsi and Hutu.
In the 1960s, following the post-World War II decolonization process, Rwandan territory was left by the Belgians. In nearly half a century of domination, hatred between the two ethnic groups had turned that region into a bomb ready to explode. Surrounded by a series of problems, the Hutu majority began to attribute all of the nation's ills to the Tutsi population.
Pressured by revanchism, Tutsis left the country and formed huge refugee camps in Uganda. Even cornered, the Tutsis and some moderate Hutus organized themselves politically in order to overthrow the government of President Juvenal Habyarimana and return to the country. Over time, this mobilization gave rise to the Rwandan Patriotic Front (FPR), led by Paul Kagame.
In the 1990s, several incidents marked the clear unsustainability of the relationship between Tutsis and Hutus. In 1993, a peace agreement between the government and members of the FPR did not have the strength to resolve the conflict. The high point of this tension occurred on April 6, 1994, when an attack brought down the plane carrying President Habyarimana. Immediately, the action was attributed to Tutsis linked to the FPR.
In the city of Kigali, capital of Rwanda, members of the presidential guard organized the first persecutions against Tutsis and moderate Hutus who formed the political opposition group in the country. Before long, several radio stations were used to call on other members of the Hutu population to kill the “natural people responsible” for that attack.
The spread of hatred has resulted in the formation of an unofficial militia called Interahamwe, which means "those who attack together". In just over three months, a terrible wave of violence took to the streets of Rwanda, causing the death of 800,000 Tutsis. The conflict against the government troops ended up being won by the members of the FPR, who tried to establish a conciliatory regime.
Despite efforts, the killing and violence in Rwanda have caused an estimated two million citizens to flee to the refugee camps formed in Congo. In this region, the problem between the Tutsi and Hutu ethnic groups continued to develop in various situations of conflict. The current government of Rwanda, led by Tutsis, has carried out some invasions of the Congo in search of some radical leaders of the Hutu ethnic group.
In recent years, the arrest of Tutsi guerrilla Laurent Nkunda and the successful experiences in the demobilization camps have eased the coexistence between Tutsis and Hutus. In addition, President Paul Kagame overturned the old records that differentiated the population by ethnicity. In some small towns, it is already possible to observe that the traumas of the 1994 genocide are being overcome.
By Rainer Sousa
Graduated in History
Source: Brazil School - https://brasilescola.uol.com.br/guerras/o-genocidio-ruanda.htm
