This rebel army was called Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). They began to launch attacks against the Rwandan government. By 1993 the Rwanda government and the RPF signed a peace agreement that said they would both share the power and would start a democratic government. The next year Habyarimana’s plane was shot down, killing him. Hutus campaigned to violently lash out against the Tutsis people. Part of the campaign, Hutus killed thousands of Tutsis. By July of that year 800,000 Tutsis were slaughtered at the feet of the world. In response to the death of their people, the RPF launched attacks, yet again, on the government of Rwanda.("Rwanda")
Figure 3: A woman in a refugee camp with her child. (Rwandan refugees in Tanzania in 1994)
Rwanda’s story really begins in the 1880’s when Germany began to conquer lands; they didn’t change the social makeup of the people. But after WWI Belgium took control over Rwanda, they helped the Tutsis stay in power. The Belgian relied on the Tutsis to fill the governing positions. With their power, they drove the Hutu out of the public life, “The ethnic structure in Rwanda and Burundi is considerably more complex than would appear from the colonial myth…” In 1961 Rwanda revolted against Belgium and with a shocking change of events, the Hutu took control and thus the places were switched. In 1973 a Hutu general took control and then assumed presidency. Major General Juvénal Habyarimana, with his role as president, made a single political party and put in place a new constitution. In 1990 the Rwandan people began to protest against Habyarimana. In the same year a rebel army was formed, which mostly consisted of Tutsis people. The Tutsis that made up the army had previously been exiled to Uganda. (Longman)
Figure 4: Young women who survived and are now living in a refugee camp. (Refugee Women)
2 million Hutu were now displaced and living as refugees in other countries, such as the Congo, to escape the wrath of the RPF. The RPF forces defeated the Hutu forces, taking control of the government. Pasteur Bizimungu took presidency, and the RPF created a multi system government, which included some Hutu officials. Bizimungu was a Hutu himself. 1994 to 1996 the Hutu army remained in refugee camps in the Congo. The RPF forces attacked the refugee camps, they overthrew the Congo government, and many of the Hutu refugees were forced to return to Rwanda because of the fighting. In 1998 the Rwandan soldiers backed a group of rebels fighting against their new government in the Congo. But in 2002 the Congo and Rwanda signed a peace agreement. “In 2005, during the third phase of the process, 36,000 prisoners were released, most of whom had confessed to involvement in the 1994 genocide.” In 2007 Rwanda joined the EAC, or East African Community, this grouped promoted economic and political toleration between the members of the group.(Longman)
