King Of Rwanda Research Paper

Rwanda is a country in East Africa, which has had a mass killing with over 800,000 of its civilians dead. On April 6, 1994, present Rwandan President, Paul

Often described as the most horrible and systematic human massacre since the Holocaust, the Rwandan Genocide has been a subject of research and debate for decades. Typically, ethnic and cultural differences between segments of Rwanda’s diverse population, namely the Hutu and the Tutsi, is the reason given to explain the genocide. Although this is a valid argument, the roots of the conflict are more complex stretching back to the era of colonialism. The impact of colonialism on Rwandan politics and society set the foundations for revolution in 1959 and, ultimately, genocide in 1994.

April to July 1994 is stamped by the “darkest and most brutal tragedy of our time.” During this 100-day mass genocide, the world watched as 800,000 Tutsi men, women, and children were slaughtered at the forefront of history. It is hard to believe that yet another mass genocide was justified by ethnic differences. The conflict between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes of Rwanda was deep seeded in the period long before Rwandan independence. The tension between these two groups can be traced back to the 14th century when the Tutsi arrived in Rwanda and dominated the area as an elite class, oppressing the Hutu population. Although their relations “remained relatively civil,” tensions were heightened with colonialism and Belgian rule of Rwanda following World War I.

In the depths of Central Africa lies the country of Rwanda, where its geography is exotic and diverse from one area to the next. It has a chaotic history, which led to one of the biggest genocides ever. Its political system for the last few years has been identical to the one in America. Its economy is going strong, with an abundance of money being earned from their different types of exports. Along with Rwanda’s rich and extravagant culture filled with things from African ideas, while also being influenced by its colonist country Belgium and even America.

Beginning on April 7, 1994, the Rwandan Genocide was a period of mass slaughter that followed the closure of the Rwandan Civil War between two major ethnic groups , the Hutus and Tutsis. After the assassination of Rwandan president, Juvenal Habyarimana, the uneasy ceasefire between the Hutu controlled government and the Rwandan Patriotic Front (who were Tutsi backed rebels) was broken, sparking a systematic effort by police and militia to execute both Tutsis and moderate Hutus. Over the span of several months, Hutu civilians were not only encouraged, but pressured to maim and kill Tutsis - eventually leading to the decimation of 70% of the Tutsi population and 20% of the Hutu population. While the genocide continued, the UN and countries such

Less than 20 years ago more civilians were murdered in Rwanda in a three-month spree of madness than during just about any other three-month period in human history, including the Holocaust. No country in Africa, if not the world, has so thoroughly turned itself around in so short a time. Kagame’s government has reduced child mortality by 70 percent; expanded the economy by an average of 8 percent annually over the past five years; and set up a national health-insurance program(Gettleman 1). In Rwanda, vagrants and criminals have been collected and taken by the police and sent to a youth “rehabilitation center”. In Rwanda there are not even large slums due to the fact that the government does not allow it. The controversy of this topic is if Rwanda should have amended the constitution to allow Kagame to run for a 3rd term? The fact is that Rwanda should have amended the constitution to allow Kagame to run for a 3rd term

Rwanda was one of the worst genocide in 1994, where 800,000 people but Tutsis, were exterminated by the Hutu. But opposed to media and governments, this was the reason of Rwanda’s political and economic position in the world system, it involved like World Bank and International Monetary Fund policies, the international aids and others.

Destexhe, Alain. Rwanda and Genocide in the Twentieth Century. New York, New York: New York University Press: 1995

In Rwanda’s history, racial tensions have been present for hundreds of years between Hutus and Tutsis. Unfortunately, on April 6, 1994, a plane carrying the President of Rwanda, a Hutu, was targeted and shot down. This occurrence sparked a mass genocide between Hutus and Tutsis that would kill 800,000 lives in a period of 100 days. Paul Rusesabagina, a hotel manager at the time, witnessed the genocide and all of its’ devastation. Paul used all of his memories and decided to write a memoir to inform and express his disgust, disappointment, and trauma towards the event.

It is disappointing that the history of Rwanda,..., may still repeat itself. I may not have the power or influence to stop this tragedy, but I am not going to sit idly by and watch another tragedy continue to unfold before my eyes” US House2 5). Genocide has been around for centuries and unfortunately countries such as Rwanda had to witness the atrocities of genocide. Unlike the holocaust, the Hutus main goal was to slaughter as many Tutsi as they could in as little as 100 days. It is equally important to remember those that suffered from this historical event will never forget it. The Rwandan genocide was a 100 day massacre that was started by the Hutu President’s place accident, which was blamed on the Tutsi from previous political disputes. All in all, the question still remains whether the Hutus shot their own president's plane down to start a war of massacre or if the Tutsi were really trying to regain

Rwanda’s horrific history is continually being researched in order to better understand how the nation descended into the horrors of the 1994 genocide. The effects of the genocide are felt throughout Rwandan public policy as the current government is composed of many individuals responsible for ending the massacres. The genocide’s ripple effects are felt in all aspects of the nations including its foreign policy. This thesis attempts to explain how historical experiences coupled through the themes of abandonment, self-reliance and the promotion of security along with interpretations by government officials of how international order operates shapes how the Rwandan government interacts with the global community. This is not a new endeavour as

Rwanda is a mountainous nation with a mild, humid climate (2-1). The nation is in the Great Lakes Region of Africa. Western Rwanda contains part of the mountains of the East African Rift while the eastern side falls into the central African savanna (2-3). As such, the people of Rwanda refer to their nation as “the land of a thousand hills (12-3).” The geographic divisions of Rwanda correspond to the nation’s 22 prefectures. A minister elected from one of Rwanda’s five main political parties heads each of these political divisions (14-200). Despite the apparent insignificance of this small country, the nation was the site of one of the modern age’s deadliest

Beginning in 2008, I have traveled numerous times to the central African nation of Rwanda to perform a wide range of research on the country’s history, genocide and rebirth. While my studies on Rwanda began with a focus on better understanding the 1994 genocide, also referred to as the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, it grew and developed. Since my first visit to Rwanda, I have become passionate in better understanding Rwanda and the surrounding Great Lakes region, which includes the Democratic Republic of Congo, Uganda, Burundi, Central African Republic, Kenya and Tanzania. I want to continue my academic career at the Harry S. Truman Research Institute for the Advancement of Peace at Hebrew University of Jerusalem, because of the unique opportunity

First and foremost, Paul Kagame is a visionary leader. He is driven by his desire to see positive change for his country and the people who live there. He wants to instill a hope for the future and create a place where all people, regardless of the ethnicity, are valued and have their needs met. As he was looking to rebuild Rwanda he said, “The future not the past… should guide government policy” (p. 216). He is always looking ahead to see how he can make Rwanda better. Even before his takeover happened, while he was in exile he was part of a group developing plans for the future(p. 220). These plans seemed ambitious and impossible, but Kagame has always been determined to help bring Rwanda to a place of prosperity. Beyond this, Kagame has

The study of Rwanda’s history is primarily reviewed within the context of the 1994 Rwandan genocide also referred to as the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi. This focus is understandable as over one million died within a three-month period. It resulted in a dramatic shift from past history as the nation tried to rebuilt itself socially through the context of a united ethnicity of ‘Rwandan’ rather than previous ethnic divisions of Hutu, Tutsi and Twa. For many researchers, the ‘new’ Rwanda began with the ending of the genocide. Over the past twenty-two years, public policies are interpreted as effects of the genocide. This is problematic, as focusing primarily on the genocide overlooks important themes and understandings that stemmed from important moments of history. This is especially true in relations to how