End To Hutu Attacks On Tutsis example essay topic

In 1994 in Rwanda, in eastern Africa, there was an extremely effective genocide campaign in which the Hutu-Power majority practically exterminated the minority Tutsi population. What is even more disturbing is how the rest of the world decided to ignore this fact and take little to no action to stop it, even though doing so directly violated the UN Genocide Convention. The events of 1994, are the subject of Phillip Gourevitch's book, We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families. Gourevitch explains in detail the roots of the Hutu-Tutsi conflict, the events that led up to the genocide, the participation of foreign countries who aided the murderers and those that tried to oppose them, and of course the gruesome event and its aftermath. He gives an objective account of history throughout most of the book, but at certain points allows his personal opinions to shine through.

He argues that the Rwandese Patriotic Front (RPF), that assumed control of the government after quelling the genocide later that year, was a well-organized regime that truly wanted to do good, but, like almost all governments, had its flaws. He also claims that the campaign to slaughter Tutsis went into full effect after the death of Hutu-Power leader, Habyarimana, with the help of radio and newspaper propaganda. Finally, Gourevitch cites the remarkable ability of the United States and other European countries to overlook the crisis in Rwanda. The last point that Gourevitch argues is a remarkable one. How could these countries, which had signed a convention stating their commitment to preventing genocide after the fall of Nazism in Europe, allow such events to take place?

Especially taking into account World War II, where these countries fought to end genocide, hesitancy to do the same in Rwanda suggests something unsettling. In 1994 Tutsis were being killed by family, doctors, teachers, neighbors and friends, mostly by machete and at a rate three times the rate of killing during the Holocaust. Yet, the Clinton administration was reluctant to call the atrocities genocide until after the damage had been done. After the fact, of course, both President Clinton and Secretary of State Madeline Albright issued apologetic statements acknowledging the fact that something horrible had really occurred in Rwanda. I can not fathom how our nation and so many others could stand idly by as so many innocent people were slaughtered. Secondly, Gourevitch describes the atmosphere in which the anti-Tutsi attitude was able to brew.

Hutus and Tutsis had been living together for hundreds of years in relative peace. Hutus were farmers and Tutsis were herders and often considered the upper echelon of society. The author often refers to what he calls the, "Hamitic myth", which states that the Tutsis were the higher class because they were really descendants from King David of Abyssinia. The myth proposes that you can tell a Hutu from a Tutsi because physically the Tutsis have features that resemble whites, such as a tall, thin frame, and a narrower nose.

Gourevitch explains these differences but primarily argues that when Hutu-Power took over the post-colonial government, the animosity towards Tutsis began to heat up. One leader in particular, Major General Habyarimana, is discussed throughout the book. When the ruler first came to power, things almost looked positive. He called for an end to Hutu attacks on Tutsis, saying that the two ethnic groups should learn to live together in peace.

He also boosted the country's economy in the early years. However, as time went on, the President would back away from this statement, producing propaganda that included a popular newspaper that featured articles such as the "Hutu Ten Commandments" where the reader is advised to have "unity and solidarity" against the "common Tutsi enemy". Gourevitch also refers to Habyarimana's wife, Madame Aga the, and her circle of advisors, the akazu, as cultivating the anti-Tutsi sentiment in the Rwandan people. When Habyarimana was assassinated, however, the war swung into full effect. The akazu were quick to rally the masses and Tutsi slaughter was soon underway. The interhamwe, an unofficial army, set up roadblocks and Tutsis were confined to their homes.

In less than a year the government was successful in killing over 800,000 Tutsis, literally decimating the population. Some Hutus were resistant to the government order for murder, but many were participants, "Just following orders". The ingenuity of the genocide was that there was no prominent leader, which made seeking justice in the aftermath incredibly challenging. When the RPF took control later that year, the prison system was jam-packed with men, women, and children accused of participating in the genocide. This overcrowding occurred despite the fact that a majority of the genocidaires had fled to refugee camps in Zaire when the RPF came into power.

When discussing the RPF Gourevitch mostly refers to conversations he had with Vice President, and head of the army, General Kagame. The burden of picking up the pieces after such an event is not one to envy. The RPF faced the challenges of bringing the genocidaires to justice, providing housing for returning refugees, organizing a new government including both Hutus and Tutsis, and finding the interhamwe and top genocidaires who had fled to refugee camps in Uganda and Zaire. Aside from a mission gone awry in Kibe ho, where 2,000 Hutus were killed by a combination of the RPF, stampedes, and the interhamwe, most attempts at moving the refugees were successful and occurred non-violently. There was peace between Hutus and Tutsis in the beginning, but when Gourevitch wraps up the book, he describes how Rwanda has once again erupted into rape, looting, and bloodshed. However, he hints that the new regime has made some progress by saying: During their attack on the school in Gisenyi, as in the earlier attack on the school in Ki buye, the students, teenage girls who had been roused from their sleep, were ordered to separate themselves - Hutus from Tutsis.

But the students had refused. At both schools, the girls said they were simply Rwandans, so they were beaten and shot indiscriminately. Although it is a morose example, it proves that progress is being made, at least in the open minds of some young Rwandans. The author also cites the respect the RPF has earned from many foreign critics. Mostly, this reverence is due to the army's organization, and its denunciation of murder and looting, which were commonplace with the old government. Overall, in spite of the catastrophic events of 1994, the author seems to see a ray of hope for the people of Rwanda, and I wholeheartedly wish he's correct.

We Wish to Inform You That Tomorrow We Will Be Killed With Our Families, was the first in-depth information I had encountered on the Rwandan crisis of 1994 and I was completely shocked. I believe the position many Western nations took with regards to Rwanda was nothing short of blatant racism, especially considering the action taken to stop ethnic cleansing in the Balkans around the same time. During the extermination of Tutsis the Clinton administration was reluctant to call the events genocide. When asked why the incidents were not being considered genocide a spokeswoman for the State Department said, "there are obligations which arise in connection with the use of the term". In this instance, she was referring to the Genocide Convention, which the US had signed. After the fact, when the burden of intervening was conveniently lifted, Clinton referred to the killings in Rwanda by saying, "It is important that the world know that these killings were not spontaneous or accidental... they were most certainly not the result of ancient tribal struggles...

These events grew from a policy aimed at the systematic destruction of a people". The French even had the tenacity to support the Hutu-Power leaders, and while claiming to be neutral peace-keeping forces, they actually harbored many of the most prominent genocidaires. I also shared Gourevitch's feelings of disgust with the UN peacekeeping action. UNAMIR was sent into Rwanda to prevent the slaughter of Tutsis and they were completely unsuccessful. In fact, they did absolutely nothing, even when they were given the opportunity. For example, General Romeo D allaire, head of UNAMIR, received information that Tutsis were being registered for the purpose of extermination, and that a major weapons cache existed in the capital of Kigali.

In this instance, the UN forces had the opportunity to prevent mass killings, yet they decided not to take any action. Finally, I agreed with the author's opinion that the RPF was an improvement from the bloodthirsty former Hutu-Power government. From the evidence presented, I thought they appeared to be taking steps towards rebuilding the state, slowly but surely. I enjoyed reading We Wish to Inform You... Gourevitch writes in an easy to read style, incorporating the tragic stories of survivors with a detailed history of the events. By combining personal elements with non-fiction information, the book reads almost like a novel.

He also provides the whole story; prior to 1994, during the massacres, and the aftermath. His coverage did not end in Rwanda, but also explored the refugee crisis in Zaire, attacks on Tutsis in North Kivu, and Rwanda's role in ousting Zaire an dictator, Mobutu See Sexo, and creating the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The book presented a great deal of information on fascinating events, and most of his opinions were supported with astonishing evidence. The book was truly unforgettable.