Sample Essay on Causes and Effects of Rwandan Genocide
The causes and effects of Rwandan genocide can be understood properly by understanding the background of this country first. Rwanda is an African country that comprises three ethnic communities.
The Hutu who are of Bantu origin comprises the largest ethnic group making 84 percent of the population of Rwanda. They are followed by Tutsis who are of the Hamitic origin comprising 15 percent of the population and the Twa of Pygmy origin comprising 1 percent of the population.
On 1st July 1962, Rwanda became independent from the Belgium-administered United Nations trusteeship. Among the causes of the Rwandan genocide is the division that the Belgians instilled in the people. Belgium introduced ethnic separation on the basis of the physical appearance of the people.
People were separated on the basis of their height and nose which has always been a way of identifying the Rwandan people. The hatred between the ethnic groups was increased by the Belgian missionaries on the basis of skin color.
The Tutsis were the majority and superior with the Hutus being considered as inferior. Belgium and France as well as UK and USA have been accused of fueling the war that led to the Rwandan genocide.
The Tutsi monarch was overthrown by the emancipation movement of the Hutus and the newly instilled independent Rwanda came into place led by Gregoire Kayibanda from the Tutsi community. The Tutsis were attacked by the Hutu government in 1962. Thousands of Hutus were killed in mass by Tutsis in 1972.
The media played a negative role in the Rwandan genocide. The RTLM radio station and the Kangura newspaper fueled the genocide which led to the Tutsis massacre. Tutsis who were the minorities were targeted by the media directly by inciting the Hutus.
The Hutu militias including the Interhamwe as well as the Rwandan army were responsible for the massacre with politicians and businessmen urging Hutus to eliminate Tutsis.
One of the effects of the Rwandan genocide was the mass murder of about 75 percent of the entire Tutsis population. There was also the establishment of the Tutsis government.
Almost 9 percent of the Rwandan adult population is currently HIV positive due to the atrocities such as rape that were done during the genocide. When the genocide ended, Rwandan economy was at the brink of collapsing with all farms and agriculturally productive land having been destroyed or burned.
The entire population of Rwanda was reduced by more than 70 percent which left the country with insufficient workers to reconstruct it. Until today, the country is dealing with nations that are still unhappy with it and rebels.
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Online Sources:
https://sites.google.com/site/stanleystherwandangenocide/causes-and-effects
http://rwanda-genocide.wikispaces.com/Causes+and+Effects
http://www.scribd.com/doc/44704253/Rwanda-Genocide-Causes-and-Consequences