Rwandan Genocide Period 2

Carolyn, Katie, and MacKinnon Rwandan Genocide The Rwandan Genocide was the 1994 mass killing of the cultural groups, the Tutsis and Hutus. In 1994 the Hutu majority in Rwanda organized and implemented the mass slaughter of the Tutsi minority. In just one hundred days, 800,000 Tutsi were slaughtered. The overall purpose of the genocide was to decimate the population of Tutsis and peaceful, non-militant Hutus. First, Hutus and Tutsis were given ID cards to separate them by ethnic groups. The government could check them whenever they wanted with threat of force. Physical appearance was also a factor. Typically, darker skin people were Hutus and the lighter skin people were Tutsis. The media got involved, which exacerbated the stereotypes and dislike of the Tutsi group. The media was delivering to the public that the violence and killing should go on. This policy was meant to decrease the population and ended with a success. The population before the genocide in Rwanda was 7 million people. The estimated number killed during the Genocide is disputable. Some say it was as much as 1,071,000 but others say it was 800,000 or at least 500,000 people. This is about 20% of the population. The United States knowingly stood by while the genocide occurred. Friends in Belgium sent troops to help the Hutu moderates, but after 10 of their soldiers were killed, the Belgium Prime Minister ordered them to be removed without first consulting the United Nations. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rwandan_Genocide http://www.rwanda-genocide.org/