Hotel Rwanda: The Rwandan Genocide

Hotel Rwanda: The Rwandan Genocide

The Start: BelgiAN Colonialism

8 Stages of Genocide

Classification

Hutus

• majority of Rwandan population
• tended to be shorter and darker than Tutsis, and also had wider noses

tutsis

• tended to be taller and lighter than Hutus, and also had smaller noses
• were put in charge as government by the Belgians

Symbolization

Identification Cards

Hutu and Tutsi Stamps

Dehumanization

Tutsis were nicknamed "cockroaches" by the Hutus.

Organization

The Hutu militia groups including the Interhamwe and the Impuzugamabi, were organized to commit acts of violence against the Tutsis.

"When people ask me, good listeners, why do I hate all the Tutsi, I say, 'Read our history.' The Tutsi were collaborators for the Belgian colonists, they stole our Hutu land, they whipped us. Now they have come back, these Tutsi rebels. They are cockroaches. They are murderers. Rwanda is our Hutu land. We are the majority. They are a minority of traitors and invaders. We will squash the infestation. We will wipe out the RPF rebels. This is RTLM, Hutu power radio. Stay alert. Watch your neighbours." -Paul Rutaganda (Hotel Rwanda)

Tutsi rebels came together in response to the arousal of violent activity due to the organization of Hutu militia groups. The RPF, Rwanadan Patriotic Force, was implemented to defend Tutsi civilians.

Polarization

Hutu conservatives, or the "middle power," were among the first to be assassinated.

April 6th, 1994: The president, Habyarimana, and the President of Burundi were killed when their airplane was shot down.

Preparation

This scene from "Hotel Rwanda" shows the Hutu militia's secret preparation for their planned invasions of the Tutsis.

Extermination

100 Days of Slaughter

April 6, 1994 - Mid July 1994

An estimated number of 800,000 people were killed over the course of about 100 days.The militia had no age limit, and they were trained so that they saw none of this as wrong, as can be seen by the happy faces of the children in this next clip.

Denial

Major countries including France and the US simply turned their backs on Rwanda, saying that there was nothing they could do since it was not considered a true genocide, but merely acts of genocide.

"We cannot solve every such outburst of civil strife or militant nationalism simply by sending in our forces."

-President Bill Clinton

The UN intervened by sending 500 defensive troops.

The Rwandan Genocide ended in mid-July 1994. The RPF was finally able to launch a successful attack that drove back the Interhamwe and foiled their plans. UN aids and workers were sent to Rwanda to maintain order and bring back basic services.

Rwanda today

• Around 100,000 children are orphaned. Their parents were either killed in the extermination, imprisoned for genocide related crimes, or struck by AIDS.
• Displaced Tutsis all over Africa cannot return to Rwanda.
• The neightboring country of Congo is still controlled by the Hutu militia of Rwanda and experiences rape, violence, and murder.

A new government came to power, a multi-ethnic one, one in which Hutus and Tutsis were able to rule their land together.

Works Cited

"1894-1990: A History of Rwanda and Burundi." Libcom.org. Web. 08 June 2011. <http://libcom.org/history/1894-1990-a-history-of-rwanda-and-burundi>.

"The Baftas - Picture Special - Telegraph." Telegraph.co.uk - Telegraph Online, Daily Telegraph and Sunday Telegraph - Telegraph. Web. 08 June 2011. <http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/3675133/The-Baftas-picture-special.html?image=1>.

"Genocide in Rwanda." Timeline: Propaganda of The... Web. <http://www.trumanwebdesign.com/~catalina/timeline.htm>.

"Just What Haiti Doesn’t Need: Rwandan Police - Anarkismo." Features - Anarkismo. Web. 08 June 2011. <http://www.anarkismo.net/article/16413>.

"YouTube - ‪Rwanda Genocide‬‏." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 08 June 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=__kf7TljgGs>.

Pictured is the actress that played Tatiana Rusesagabina in "Hotel Rwanda"

Pictured is the actor that played Paul Rusesagabina in "Hotel Rwanda"