Rwanda is one of many African countries outlined their borders after they retired those who had taken over a century. Something that did not bring them peace, as the infighting between the various ethnic groups that inhabit them continue today. Struggles in many cases reached slaughter levels in the midst of political turmoil precisely because of the ambition of these ethnic groups coming to power, in which were alternating. Conflicts that have not been outside the Western powers, which as usual handle these conflicts and who the protagonists at will, what a bloody chess pieces, political and financial support, plus assistance "logistics" through arms, each of the warring factions.
This small country is home to several ethnic groups, although those that are predominantly Hutu (85% approx.) And the Tutsi (15% approx.), Following them far behind the Twa tribe , which in turn has become even smaller after the massacre in which, in spite of them as they are very peaceful, were involved. And those two predominant ethnic groups who have staged the bloodiest clashes since independence, conflict that peaked in the slaughter of 1994. So strong are the conflicts between Hutus and Tutsis who also speak their own language African (Bantu), ended up adopting the French language English Hutus and Tutsis. This is because the role that had marked Western nations in conflict.
Culturally, the separation Hutu / Tutsi is an artificial division based more on class than ethnicity, since there is no linguistic or cultural differences between the Hutu and Tutsi. Historically, however, there were physical differences, mainly in average height. The Hutu and Tutsi share the same religion and language. Some scholars also point to the important role played by the Belgian colonizers created the idea of \u200b\u200ba separate "race" Hutu and "race" Tutsi.
Belgium, the country that had colonized Rwanda, chose from the beginning of their domination by the Tutsi minority privilege to turn it into an elite. For its part, the Church between Hutus gave the notion of superiority and placed them in key positions in the colonial administration. In turn, France Rwanda had signed an agreement to supply arms in 1975, and on behalf of the French supported the dictatorial regime of the Hutu radicals, while their opponents Tutsis had become anglophones. U.S. always sided with the Tutsi, and currently sponsors the activities of Rwanda, along with Burundi and Uganda in the war of violence that takes place, for years, the Democratic Republic of Congo, formerly Zaire. With this background, who joined the division of interests between the Western powers, it was what was known as "the slaughter in Rwanda" , a genocide that took place in only four months between April and July 1994.
The April 6, 1994-to-air missile shot down the plane carrying the presidents of Rwanda, Juvenal Habiarymana, and Burundi, Cyprien Ntaryamira, when I was about to land at the airport in Kigali, the Rwandan capital , killing everyone aboard. This attack and the chaos that triggered the killings happened.
The Rwandan government, then in the hands of Hutu, and called all Hutus to kill Tutsis, on whom suspicion fell for the attack. That call to slaughter faster also found an echo in the media in the hands of government, which incited people to kill all Tutsis. To do so civilians were armed with hammers, hoes, sticks, machetes and axes, items used at close range. It should be noted that this was the triggering event, but the tension between different ethnic groups can be traced back long ago.
Before the start of the genocide, prepared lists of Tutsis and opposition leaders who were to be killed. Note that already 1992 the Belgian Parliament had information that was preparing a "final solution" of the ethnic problem, but nobody did anything . The Hutu faction in power and had proposed to apply a "final solution" to the ethnic conflict which would consist of "finish the job", ie not letting the children live and, unlike previous situations, incited also by being opposite the implementation of an international peace plan promoted by several African countries in the agreements of Arusha, Tanzania, which provided that Hutus and Tutsis share political power. He was so moved huge masses of civilians, with an organization careful and effective results, as they managed to destroy the targets that had been raised, while the thousands of Tutsis who could flee fled to neighboring countries.
some 800,000 are estimated to approximate the number killed in the slaughter -which would amount to 11% of the total population of Rwanda, "among which were also moderate Hutus opposed to violence, some even joined in marriage Tutsis. At the same time, thousands of women who survived were infected with the AIDS virus, having been raped.
That genocide ended when Tutsi were abroad were grouped into the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). In July 1994, managed to take the capital, Kigali, and with it the power. There was developing another part of the slaughter. The RPF began to pursue the Hutu, took part in the massacre before or not. Many fled with their families to neighboring Congo, then called Zaire. Newcomers began to see images in the media, which had not previously dealt with the tragedy, showing the long convoys of refugees, the desperation in the streets of the Zairean town of Goma, to where they were persecuted by the RPF with Uganda government complicity and where it is estimated that killed some 200,000 Hutus more.
Thus you can not blame the slaughter in Rwanda only one party or another. But these conflicts continue today, sometimes at the level of skirmishes or unsolved crimes. "
The Twa, for being in the midst of this war between Hutus and Tutsis, were also victims of the massacres, killing 30% of them, and their already low number was reduced to about 11,000, equivalent to only 0 , 3% of the total population of Rwanda. Ethnicity very peaceful, this slaughter, which he joined in extreme poverty and disease, also dented his usual cheerfulness, which made often sing and dance.
strongman Paul Kagame
, 49 years old and belonging to the Tutsi ethnic group, is the current president of Rwanda . In October 1990, while Kagame was involved in a training program at Fort Leavenworth, Kansas (USA), the RPF invaded Rwanda. Kagame became the commander of the RPF. Despite some initial successes, a force of French and Belgian soldiers, Hutu and Zairian soldiers forced the withdrawal of the RPF. In late 1991 invasion repeated, again with limited success. In any such encroachment increased ethnic tension in the region. Began to take place so long peace talks between the RPF and the Rwandan government, which culminated in the Arusha Accords, which included political participation of the RPF in Rwanda and the development of a new constitution for the country. But despite these agreements, tensions are dissolved. That was how it was the day of the attack on the plane returning to Rwandan president, Juvenal Habyarimana, along with his pair of Burundi on April 6, 1994. It was the day, too, which threw the first stone to begin on the day after and extending for 100 days, the "slaughter of Rwanda."
Several sources, including members of the RPF itself, the guerrilla force led by Paul Kagame , point to it as a direct participant in this attack, knowing what would come next. Even some observers suggest that "Kagame did not mind sacrificing their fellow Tutsi provided to remove power to the Hutus, he knew very well that to eliminate the President Habyarimana was going to cause chaos in the country and put an end the democratic process. " To achieve its objectives, Kagame practically had the explicit support of Uganda and the United States , countries which in turn used the Rwandan Tutsi to overthrow the president of Zaire, Mobutu Sese Seko, putting in place to Laurent Kabila, helping the Congolese rebels took to be renamed Zaire in 1997, as Democratic Republic of Congo.
However, U.S. interests in the region were not only political. Since those years, and continuing after the arrival of Kagame to power with the complicity ally of Rwanda, Burundi and Uganda, in the former Zaire began to develop a war that continues today, and that by some estimates has been recorded around 2 million deaths. That war is produced by the country's mineral resources like gold and diamonds but mostly for rare minerals such as niobium and coltan, very useful for the U.S. aerospace and satellite, as well as other applications such as cellular telephony. Booty is no stranger to that, incidentally, the multinational Bayer , who participates with others in the farm.
Paul Kagame was installed in the government of Rwanda in July 1994, at the end of the 100-day genocide, agreeing in March 2000 for the presidency, which continues today. On August 25, 2003 overwhelmingly won the first national elections since the RPF made came to power, amid reports of observers from the European Union relating to irregularities in the elections and harassment of opposition parties. Sign
and obedient ally of the United States, Paul Kagame has been both highly critical of the role played by the United Nations during the 1994 genocide. Moreover, the criticism went to France for his role in it, to not take preventive measures remember that the French-supported and militarily supported the Hutu-led in March 2004 a diplomatic crisis between the two countries.
The sad part of the West and the UN
In 1994 the United Nations (UN), was stationed in Rwanda peacekeepers, at such times and places in which they were committing acts of genocide.
The mission was smaller in number than they had originally recommended, was not prepared properly and lacked properly trained troops and adequate equipment. With this background, the UNAMIR forces chose to sit on when the genocide began, not the weapons seized were distributed to the militias, despite having the authority to do so, and the time the massacres began evacuated field and left unprotected victims. There were some heroic acts by soldiers in those forces peace by choice, who lost their lives trying to defend the persecuted.
Despite all the evidence, the UN, under pressure from several Western governments, not described these killings as "genocide" until May 25, when much of the slaughter had already been consummated, and instead of sending reinforcements peacekeeping troops in Rwanda decided to withdraw, a decision made by member states of the Security Council. Thus, victims of the slaughter were in utter helplessness, and his pursuers with his hands completely free to commit to what they wanted. Specifically, the Security Council decided to reduce the number of soldiers of UNAMIR from 2,700 to 270, what happened after the murder of ten Belgian soldiers and Prime Minister of Rwanda, to protect those soldiers.
came to light when the actual proportions of the slaughter the Security Council in mid-May 1994, decided to authorize the dispatch of 5,500 UN troops, but between the slow pace of proceedings and the preparation of the transfer were few who arrived before the end of the killing, which occurred in July when the country took over the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), led by Paul Kagame and the Tutsi-dominated.
The conflict in Rwanda, the UN once again proved -As he did in the war against Yugoslavia, or later in the regions resulting from the partition of Yugoslavia, the conflict in Kosovo, and U.S. launch of its war against Iraq, which his performance has been disgraceful. Merely give the impression of a weak body, ineffective, with the major powers-the United States, United Kingdom, France, Russia and China, installed as permanent members and immovable in the Security Council, make it what they place and also manage your pleasure and convenience the strings of international coexistence.
The September 15, 1999, an independent investigation commissioned by the UN Secretary General, identified several failures of the measures taken by the United Nations during the Rwandan genocide. The causes of total failure of the United Nations actions before and during the genocide in Rwanda were summarized in the report as "lack of resources and unwillingness to take responsibility to prevent or stop the genocide" .
In Western countries took sides in the Rwandan conflict already mentioned some aspects. But what of France is reaching aspects of scandal even today, as the prosecutor of the Military Court of Paris has opened a preliminary investigation by "complicity in genocide and / or complicity in crimes against humanity ", as a result of the complaint filed by six Rwandans to which the presiding judge heard recently in Kigali, who accuse the French troops have helped the genocide during the" Operation Turquoise " in 1994. It has opened up even further judicial stage in the statement targets the French army for its actions in Rwanda when the genocide of 1994. The military prosecutor in Paris announced the opening of a judicial inquiry that aims to unidentified French soldiers so far.
open judicial information for now only affects two of the six complaints. The first assured the judge that "Hutu militiamen entered the camp and appointed Tutsis to the French military was forced to leave the camp", continuing: "I saw the militia killing Tutsis who had left the camp. I say, and is the truth, I've seen a French military kill Tutsis bright using large knives, "referring probably to bayonets. For its part, Gisanura testified on the situation in the town of Biserero: "The militiamen attacked and chased us, and affirm that the French military from attending the show their cars, doing nothing. They were French because they spoke French, were white and had the French flag in the hole. "
is quite possible that this issue, as all related to the military and even a power like France, initially as a stuffy or go through a process of delay in treatment until they are properly diluted to be forgotten. How will dare a little black African country to face the civilized France?
The sad part of the Church
There is evidence that sectors have accused the Catholic Church complicity, active or passive, in the 1994 genocide. According to a UN report of November 2009, Hutu militias of the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Rwanda (FDLR) "have regularly received political, logistical and financial support from people linked to Catholic foundations" such as "El Olivar "e" Inshuti "and also funds from, for example," directly from the Government of the Balearic Islands. "
Since colonization and evangelization of the country (80% populated by Hutu and Tutsi 10%), circa 1900, the Church played a role not only religious but political. In their work, Catholic missionaries were met with resistance from the Tutsi and enjoyed, however, of great benevolence Hutu. While you can not accuse the Church have created differences between the Hutu and Tutsi, have helped to entrench and justify the division of two groups that had never been faced over the centuries but squabbles of interest between farmers Tutsi and Hutu ministers. Ethnologists and missionaries in Africa thought they had found a land in which to apply their own racial theories of the nineteenth century.
In 1931, the Church obtained the dismissal of Muyinga Tutsi king, contrary to the Christianization of his people. Numerous clergy and members of the hierarchy is involved in the spread of "racist schemes" , for example in the work of Father Albert Pagés or Bishop Leon Classe. After Father Lopi, Abbe Alexis Kagame spread racist schemes in the local language. In 1933, the "White Fathers" founded the Catholic newspaper "Kinyameteka", which later propagate the ideology Parmehutu ", where the Tutsi is a" non-Christian, anti-white, "" liar "," smart and devious ", while the Hutu are" worker, "Indian docile", "friend of White.
With an absolute monopoly on education The Church multiplied the formation of seminarians abbots and Hutu, to make Rwanda a "kingdom of Christ" and in 1946 the King Mutara III, chosen by the Church, the country officially dedicated to "Christ the King." conversion to Catholicism became the door required to access any colonial employment.
independence But the wind blowing in the fifties nationalism reinforced the "communist" and "atheist" by the Tutsi. In 1957, the Hutu Rwandan near the vicarage, a manifesto drafted whereby the Tutsis are intruders arrived from the Nile, where they will return. "The Sermon on the Charity Bishop Perraudin, 1957, and his Lenten pastoral letter racist Feb. 11 led directly "massacre of All Saints 1959, during which civilians armed with machetes and burned the farms of the Tutsis, leaving tens of thousands dead and no fewer refugees. When in 1963 the Tutsi refugees attempted to return to Rwanda, now an independent republic, tens of thousands were killed in the "Christmas red".
Since independence, the domain of the Church worsened, particularly its right wing, the Renouveau Charismatique and "secret department" of Opus Dei. In 1973 we can speak of the regime of President Habyarimana and Hutu a Catholic dictatorship in a country almost entirely Catholic.
The minutes of May 16, 1997 Belgian parliamentary commission, numerous testimonies directly accuse the Catholic Church and its ramifications. priests, bishops, archbishops, abbots, priests, missionaries and members of Opus were officially charged with complicity, active or passive, in the 1994 genocide. According to Belgian researcher Pierre Galant, 816 machetes were purchased and distributed by Caritas-Rwanda in 1993. The white father Johan Pristil, ardent supporter of "Hutu-power", participated in the creation of Radio Mille Collines, translated Mein Kampf (the book written by Adolf Hitler) to the Kinyarwanda and saw the Tutsi as "Jews of Africa." 30,000 bodies were found in his parish in Nymba. Radio Mille Collines radio-or death-killing preached every day.
The priest Athanase Seromba (hosted in Florence, Italy) was sentenced to 15 years in prison for genocide and crimes against humanity by the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda. According to the court, the priest ordered the parish of Nyange down, sheltering more than 2000 people, mostly Tutsi community.
The Criminal Tribunal of Rwanda based in Arusha, filed charges of genocide against the Catholic priest Emmanuel Rukundo . It is found that "used his authority and influence to promote the kidnapping and murder of refugees", and "intended to destroy the Tutsi ethnic group."
The sisters nuns Mikabutera Mukangango and were sentenced to 12 and 15 years for the courts of Belgium (the country where they escaped) for having given to the Tutsi refugees at their monasteries. The first also was convicted of buying the fuel used by the genocide.
Elizaphan Ntakirutimana was sentenced to 10 years in prison for acts similar.
Belgian Father Guy Theunis is charged with 10 counts of genocide. He was responsible for the magazine "Dialogue" in which he published articles inciting to commit massacres against Tutsis. The priest said following orders from his superiors when he signed the documents and decisions were made by the head of the congregation, also Belgian Jef Vleugles. The prosecutor Emmanuel Rukangira said Theunis incited genocide in his Dialogue magazine publishing articles that were originally published in extremist Kangura. The former editor of it, Hassan Ngeze, and was sentenced to life imprisonment by the court United Nations and the Rwandan genocide. Genocide
notorious hide and are protected in convents, monasteries and parishes.
In France, Abbe Munyeshyaka and others are protected by civil and political authorities of allegations of involvement in the killings. Rwandan genocide many priests escaped to Europe and Canada.
Although it is shown that there is a large direct involvement of the Church or members of the Church in the genocide, it may be completely generalized indirect involvement of the same: "We could have done more to prevent it. Do not use our influence for stop the killing ", several of the religious confession, never their bishops.
The future of Rwanda
prospects for Rwanda are not very encouraging: the power is in the hands of a circle shrinking of Tutsis about strongman, Paul Kagame , the Hutu military maintains its initiatives, the Rwandan government is also actively involved in the Congo war, government repression remains intense, the economic situation severe: 70% of the population lives below the poverty line, the application of justice is slow, inefficient and inequitable, with 120,000 detainees who have not been open process, many of whom die from conditions that are, as often that a released detainee is killed, the genocide that decimated the intellectuals of the country adds difficulties for their recovery, and there is no official initiative for reconciliation.
however, have emerged some positive signs: in addition they rebuild homes, begin to proliferate associations of ordinary citizens, as women usually alone and with terrible experiences in tow, those of environmental protection, cooperatives credit, etc. But the most influential is the association that brings together victims, called "Ibuka (Remember), which works against forgetting and denial and kept some places destroyed as reminders.
The slaughter in Rwanda, another of the forgotten wars in which they have lost hundreds of thousands of lives, usually from the population of all concerned the political game of those who govern and only pretend to live at peace with their crops, livestock or pottery. Victims of a bloody game of chess that dispute, using them as pawns, major world powers and the prize winner may be a coveted mineral oil resources, or all at once.
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