Rwandan Genocide- The Mass Killing of Over 800,000 Hutus
July 19,1994
While lasting only 100 days, the Rwandan Genocide has been one of the most destructive genocides of all time. To date, over 1 million people have been killed.  For over a century, division was set between the Hutu and Tutsi based upon their physical characteristics.  The struggle for power between the two groups led to the rude awakening.

The Hutu and Tutsi tribes were first developed because of their lifestyles and cultural differences.  The Hutu were agricultural and the Tutsi were mainly hunter-gatherers.  They spoke the same language and by the time of the genocide at least 25% of Rwandans had mixed ancestry.  The two tribes were very hostile towards one another, until Rwanda got taken under Belgian’s control.  The European invasion eventually caused the tension between the Hutu and Tutsi.  Belgian rulers favored the Tutsi because of their light skin and tall and thin body form.  The Belgian authorities suggested that the Tutsi were more European than the Hutu, and pronounced the Tutsi as more intelligent and hardworking.  The Tutsi were chosen as the ruling tribe and were given privileged positions.  Only a minority of the class derived from Tutsi.  84% of the population was Hutu leaving 15% Tutsi and 1% Twa.  By the time of 1932, identity cards had been issued, each of them claiming what tribe each person belonged to.  By 1957, nearly all schools and the country’s civil service, was run by the Tutsi.  The Hutu finally gained their power in 1962, after they achieved their independence from the Belgian rulers causing the Tutsi to fight back and regain their power.  This caused over 200,000 Tutsis to flee from Rwanda.  In 1990, the Tutsis that fled from Rwanda, forced the president into signing an agreement that the Hutu and Tutsi now had equalized power, as opposed to the Hutu having all of the power.  Tensions rose after the first popular Hutu president was shot in October 1993 causing the Rwandan Genocide.  

The Genocide began on April 6, 1994 when a plane carrying the countries Hutu president Juvenal Habyarimana was shot down. The attack was blamed on Tutsi rebels but was later proven to be Hutu extremists from the presidents own inner circle hoping to end the peace agreement with the Tutsi. Soon after this, the Hutu began murdering prominent figures including moderate Hutu politicians and Tutsi leaders.  The mass killing spread throughout the country as the Hutu militia killed over 10,000 Tutsi and Hutu moderates a day.  Later, ten Belgium soldiers were captured by the Hutus and violently tortured and murdered.  This caused the United States, France, Belgium, and Italy to evacuate their people from Rwanda.  The Tutsi and Hutu were now left to defend themselves with no help from the U.N. or U.S. countries.  The Hutu became even more violent and aggressive because there was no one to defend the Tutsi.The radicals mercilessly killed men women and children alike, no longer confining the killings to just those involved with the Tutsi rebellion. They would hack defenseless Tutsi families to death with machetes and many of the Hutu professional class including doctors, journalists, and educators killed Tutsi just to steal their property.  The Hutu were encouraged to do so by the Rwanda State Radio broadcasting their hate for the Tutsi.  Many Tutsis evacuated to churches and hospitals, which caused some of the worst massacres.  Hospitals became a prime target for Hutus.  Some Hutus even forced Hutus to kill their Tutsi neighbors or face death for them and their family.  Some also forced Tutsis to kill members of their family.  Tutsi bodies are frequently seen floating down the Kigara River.  It was announced today that the massacre finally ended when the armed Tutsi rebels managed to defeat the Hutus ending the 100 day genocide. One tenth of the population was killed during this devastating period.  
-Eden Beck