Rwanda Lesson Notes

Cover the history of Rwanda. History. Colonialism 1918-Independence 1960-Events of the genocide. Watch the movie. Selected Witness Accounts.

•There were 2 groups in Rwanda, the Tutsi and the Hutus. Originally the country had Tutsi kings and mostly Tutsi chiefs for land, castle and military. The rest of the population worked on a system of mutual benefit.

•Germans were the first people to take control of Rwanda then the United Nations appointed Belgium to govern it. Belgium turned the relationship between the Tutsis (14% of the population) and the Hutus (85% of the population) into a class system by – giving the Tutsis privileges and education, using them to enforce rule and making the population have identity cards to distinguish between the 2 groups (oppression of the Hutus).

•Hutus rebelled against the Tutsis and the Belgian power and 200.000 Tutsis fled the country due to violence and discrimination from the Hutus (oppression of the Tutsis)

•Belgium withdraws and Rwanda becomes 2 countries – Rwanda, under Hutu control, and Burundi, under Tutsi control.

•During the 60s, 70s and 80s the Tutsis attempt to attack Rwanda and the Hutus repeatedly massacre the Tutsis, restrict their job opportunities (human rights). More and more Tutsis flee Rwanda as refugees to Burundi and Uganda. In Uganda Tutsis form the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) group.

•In 1989 coffee prices collapse causing economic crisis and western aid intervenes but under the condition that the president, Habyarimana, changes his system of power to a multi-party democracy.

•In 1990 the RPF invades from Uganda and French and Zairean troops are called in to assist Rwandan Government, resulting in a ceasefire.

•Rwandan army trains civilians, more Tutsi massacres, stalling of multi-party democracy