Rwanda And Belgium Rwanda - 977 Words

Rwanda and Belgium When atrocities take place in the world, society tends to forget and move on without proper historical reasoning, this is what took place in Rwanda. Before the colonization by Germany and Belgium, Rwanda was divided into two prominent groups. The elite Tutsi, and the Hutu, who were peasant farmers. Due to competition, greed, and envy every European Nation wanted to divide and conquer Africa for themselves. Germany and Belgium did not take into consideration the different tribes when they agreed to divide Rwanda up for natural resources and profit. The greed of Belgium and long standing rivalry between two tribes steered a once prosperous Kingdom into turmoil. The colonization of Rwanda is one of the many precursors that†¦show more content†¦Even though there was already a system in place that was already quite unequal, the relationship between the two were civil, until the 19th century (Haperen 120). Racial tensions increased and colonialization intensified the distinction b etween the two both racially and economically. The colonization of Rwanda began in 1884 at the Berlin Colonial Conference. The territory of Rwanda was given to Germany. â€Å"The German Government set up military post in Rwanda beginning in 1891 and introduced civil administration in 1907 (Newbury, 257).† The Germans did not take direct control of the territory, instead colonial rule via local leaders was instituted. The colonial perception on Africans were based on racist and ignorant views (Haperen 99). The Hamitic Hypothesis was then brought into the picture. This Hypothesis suggests that everything of value in Sub Saharan Africa was brought by the Hamites, â€Å"a people inherently superior to the native populations† (Sanders). The Tutsi were then chosen because their Caucasoid qualities are more European than The Hutus. The Germans choose Tutsi over the Hutu primarily because of skin color, size of the nose and eye color. They were given power because these qualities showed that they were more intelligent and m ore fit to rule. The goal was to pick the ethnic group that looked more white. This continued to fuel theShow MoreRelatedThe Genocide Of The Rwandan Genocide1307 Words   |  6 Pagesinhabitants of Rwanda were the Twa that were eventually displaced by the Hutu peoples living in the Congo River basin during the tenth century. About five hundred years later, the Tutsi arrived from the north, conquered the Hutu, and ruled them through an elaborate feudal system – Tutsi kings, or mwamis, governed the elite who, in turn, governed the Hutu serfs. This system remained intact for hundreds of years and reached its peak in the middle to late 19th century (â€Å"Rwanda†). Until 1880, Rwanda was governedRead MoreRwandan Genocide : Behind The Media s Eyes1088 Words   |  5 PagesAbsolutely. If Rwanda hadn’t been under Belgian rule, and if western countries would have sent troops in to help, the genocide could ve been avoided. There was no light shed on the genocide by the western media. The media twisted and contorted the reality of the genocide. While Western media claimed that Tutsis were victims of genocide, they failed to identify the true victim of the genocide. Hutus and Tutsis were able to live peacefully until they were under Belgian Control. In 1916 Belgium colonizedRead MoreInternational Community Is Culpable For The Rwandan Genocide1376 Words   |  6 Pages Considering the horrific nature of this genocide and the vast number of victims, there is a question whether the international community is culpable for the Rwandan genocide; specifically, the role of its key players, the US, the UN, France and Belgium. I will argue that the international community is culpable and focus on three reasons for this inaction. A subsequent question is; what responsibilities do global actors have in preventing such atrocities? I feel that every country is responsibleRead MoreGenocides And Genocides Of Genocides987 Words   |  4 Pageshousehold tools and homemade weapons—machetes, hoes, and hammers. Genocides are commonly overlooked throughout many countries. Africa has had many genocides and wars occurring over the past century. The most known genocides are ones that occurred in Rwanda and Darfur. Researchers have found that most genocides show the same patterns and key elements. As different genocides of Africa have occurred, the causes of genocides, along with the role modern countries play in Africa’s genocides have been discoveredRead MoreDr. Morris s Hotel Rwanda1067 Words   |  5 PagesHotel Rwanda The Rwandan genocide occurred in 1994 between the two prevalent ethnic groups in Rwanda, the Hutu and the Tutsi. Hotel Rwanda documents the plight of Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager, who opens his hotel as a shelter for the Tutsi people during the Rwandan genocide, saving thousands of lives in the processes. Through bribes Rusesabagina was able to keep thousands of Tutsi people from death. Like many other African states, Rwanda was colonized by a European superpower, Belgium. ThereforeRead MoreTaking a Look at the Rwandan Genocide1016 Words   |  4 PagesTutsis, against each other. There has been a long, thick tension between the two for many years going back to when Belgium owned a colonial state known as Rwanda-Burundi. Rwanda and Burundi had two main ethnic groups, the Hutus and the Tutsis. While the Hutus were greater in population, the Belgians favored the Tutsis for their physical advantages such as lighter skin. The Belgium military encouraged bureaucracy throughout the state and insisted the Tutsis have more power than the Hutus. This createdRead MoreU.s. Foreign Policy : The Game Of Plausible Deniability1625 Words   |  7 PagesDeniability As I previously stated in the â€Å"U.S. Foreign Policy† section of my paper, the U.S. was spread across the globe in several conflicts. The U.S. had forces in Haiti, Somalia, the Balkans, and the middle East, so when the bloodshed began in Rwanda, the U.S. was not eager to extend it resources to another battle. John Shattuck, Assistant Secretary of State for Human Rights stated, â€Å"Bosnia was in one of its real crisis modes. The Europeans didn’t want to authorize American air strikes for fearRead MoreThe Rwandan Genocide Began On April 6Th 1994 Culminating1370 Words   |  6 Pagestheir responsibilities were ignored. Although there was clear evidence of atrocities in Rwanda, the international community chose to downplay the significance of the reports. A case has been made over the years, that the genocide could have been stopped by earlier intervention from the international communities. In early 1994, General Romeo Dallaire, commander of UNAMIR(United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda) asked repeatedly for more troops, but his request was not conveyed to the council.[4]Read MoreThe Tutsi And Tutsi People843 Words   |  4 PagesThe Hutu and Tutsi people have been struggling to live together for many years. From 1959 to 1994 the Hutu and Tutsi people of Burundi and Rwanda have been bondaged together by major events that have let to the Burundi and Rwanda Genocides. But there’s more to just the Genocides than what meets the eye. In order to understand what happened in the Rwanda genocide I must talk about Burundi and the Belgian rule. Hutu and Tutsi have lived in the same area for centuries and share the same language, religionsRead MoreThe Rwanda Genocide808 Words   |  3 PagesApril 7, 1994 marked the beginning of one hundred days of massacre that left over 800,000 thousand dead and Rwanda divided by a scare that to this day they are trying to heal. The source of this internal struggle can be traced back to the segregation and favoritism established by Belgium when they received Rwanda after the signing of the Treaty of Versailles in 1918. At the time the Rwandan population was 14% Tutsi, 1%Twa, and 85% Hutus; the Belgian’s showed preferential treatment to the Tutsi, who