(IS NOT EDITED AND MAY INCLUDE GRAMMATICAL ERRORS)
Who was responsible?
The cause of the Rwandan genocide is complex and controversial, the roots going back to pre-colonial period. Firstly to understand the issue we need to look at the ethnic groups in Rwanda. The Hutu made up 84% of the population, the Tutsis made up 15% and the Twa 1%. Historically, even prior colonization, the Tutsis had been the ruling class and controlled the country. Tutsis were traditionally the herdsmen from Northern Africa and the hutu people worked the land. The Rwandans generally accepted this division because all ethnic groups spoke the same language, had the same religious beliefs, intermarried and lived side-by-side. Even being a Tutsi became more of a social class with anybody who owned 10 cows automatically being designated a Tutsi. However only ethnic discrimination was seen in politics, as the small hierarchy group was primarily Tutsi. European colonization is a major cause for driving a distinct division in ethnic classification; with Rwanda being imperialized by powers Germany and Belgium. It was part of colonial administration to select a class that they believed would help power and provide stability for the colony and be able to work well with the colonists, and they choose the Tutsis. Germany occupied Rwanda from 1895 – 1916 and was forced to seize its colony due to financial loss in World War One. Belgium then became the imperialistic force on Rwanda and emphasised further racial separation that Germany had. Both colonists failed to recognised the King, Mwami Rwabugiri and the rulers surrounding them, and instead chose a mere handful of Europeans to control Rwanda in any matter most beneficial to imperial interests. Because there were ethic differences prior to colonization, the European powers believed that they were just maintaining and strengthening the structure already in place. Belgium was the worst culprit in endorsing racist and institutional division between both classes, and they created an easy to control society resembling a well structure pyramid. In order to form this they would make racist comments and publicise differences between Tutsi and Hutus, identifying Tutsis as generally taller and skinner. They even went on stating that the Tutsi is related to the superior Caucasoid race from the Nile Valley with Christian origins and thus are more intelligent and ‘white-like’ than the Hutus. However it is very likely that 50% of Rwandans were ethnically mixed and had grandparents both Hutu and Tutsi. In 1926 – 32 Belgium commissioned identity cards, much like the cards given to Jewish people in the Holocaust, which showed age and ethnicity. These ethnic cards became basis for determining education and allocation of work. In the Belgium education system placed in Rwanda that consisted of primarily missionary schools ¾ students were Tutsis. Tragically it was these cards that became the key to enabling Hutu killers to identify Tutsis.
Who was responsible?
The cause of the Rwandan genocide is complex and controversial, the roots going back to pre-colonial period. Firstly to understand the issue we need to look at the ethnic groups in Rwanda. The Hutu made up 84% of the population, the Tutsis made up 15% and the Twa 1%. Historically, even prior colonization, the Tutsis had been the ruling class and controlled the country. Tutsis were traditionally the herdsmen from Northern Africa and the hutu people worked the land. The Rwandans generally accepted this division because all ethnic groups spoke the same language, had the same religious beliefs, intermarried and lived side-by-side. Even being a Tutsi became more of a social class with anybody who owned 10 cows automatically being designated a Tutsi. However only ethnic discrimination was seen in politics, as the small hierarchy group was primarily Tutsi. European colonization is a major cause for driving a distinct division in ethnic classification; with Rwanda being imperialized by powers Germany and Belgium. It was part of colonial administration to select a class that they believed would help power and provide stability for the colony and be able to work well with the colonists, and they choose the Tutsis. Germany occupied Rwanda from 1895 – 1916 and was forced to seize its colony due to financial loss in World War One. Belgium then became the imperialistic force on Rwanda and emphasised further racial separation that Germany had. Both colonists failed to recognised the King, Mwami Rwabugiri and the rulers surrounding them, and instead chose a mere handful of Europeans to control Rwanda in any matter most beneficial to imperial interests. Because there were ethic differences prior to colonization, the European powers believed that they were just maintaining and strengthening the structure already in place. Belgium was the worst culprit in endorsing racist and institutional division between both classes, and they created an easy to control society resembling a well structure pyramid. In order to form this they would make racist comments and publicise differences between Tutsi and Hutus, identifying Tutsis as generally taller and skinner. They even went on stating that the Tutsi is related to the superior Caucasoid race from the Nile Valley with Christian origins and thus are more intelligent and ‘white-like’ than the Hutus. However it is very likely that 50% of Rwandans were ethnically mixed and had grandparents both Hutu and Tutsi. In 1926 – 32 Belgium commissioned identity cards, much like the cards given to Jewish people in the Holocaust, which showed age and ethnicity. These ethnic cards became basis for determining education and allocation of work. In the Belgium education system placed in Rwanda that consisted of primarily missionary schools ¾ students were Tutsis. Tragically it was these cards that became the key to enabling Hutu killers to identify Tutsis.