1 / 18

Rwanda and the Great Congo War: A History of Africa's Turmoil

Explore the complex causes of the Rwandan genocide in context, including the impact of colonialism, post-colonial governance, and the regional conflicts that led to the Great Congo War. Learn about international responses, justice and reconciliation efforts, and the lasting impact on Rwanda and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

dannyroberts
Download Presentation

Rwanda and the Great Congo War: A History of Africa's Turmoil

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Rwanda and the Great Congo War, 1994-2004 HI177 | A History of Africa since 1800 Term 3 | Week 2 | Dr Sacha Hepburn

  2. Lecture Outline • Genocide in Context • The social structure of pre-colonial Rwanda • The impact of colonialism • The nature of the post-colonial state • 100 Days • International Response • The aftermath of the genocide: • Justice and reconciliation • War in Democratic Republic of Congo

  3. Paths to Violence 1 • The social structure of pre-colonial Rwanda • Complex hierarchical society: minority Tutsi form monarchy, elites and middle classes; majority Hutu constitute the lower social order; Twa at the bottom of society • The impact of colonialism • First a German colony, then a mandate under Belgian rule • Colonisation leads to hardening of ethnic identities and boundaries • Hutu resentment steadily increases

  4. A Belgian doctor examines a Rwandan man to determine his ‘race’

  5. Paths to Violence 2 • The nature of the post-colonial state: authoritarian, centralised • Hutu party win elections and hold power until 1994 • 1973 military coup brings Habyarimana to power • Social tensions increase as economy declines from 1980s • Tutsi refugees in Uganda seen as a threat to Hutu rule; formation of RPF and war with Rwanda 1990-1993 • Arusha Accords (1993) propose power-sharing between Hutu-Tutsi

  6. Identity cards from the post-colonial period in Rwanda

  7. 100 Days • 6 April 1994: plane carrying Habyarimana and Burundi’s President Cyprien Ntaryamira shot down • 6-7 April: killings begin in Kigali, carried out by soldiers, police and Hutu militias • 7 April: RPF resumes fighting against gov in north • April-early May: high-rate of killings across the country • May-early July: killings continue across country, slowly halted by RPF advance and capture of territory • 4 July: RPF capture Kigali • July: RPF head northwest, pursuing genocide government into Zaire

  8. Rwandan Patriotic Front troops advance, May 1994

  9. Belgian troops prepare to inspect Kigali April 11, 1994

  10. More than 8,000 Tutsis took shelter at the Niashishi refugee camp, south Rwanda, guarded by French soldiers, April 1994

  11. International Responses • Journalists, radio broadcasters and TV news reporters covered the events live from Rwanda, until most were evacuated • Emphasis on ethnic tensions in press reports (encouraged by genocidaires) • UNAMIR (UN peacekeeping force) warned UN Security Council of genocide in January 1994 – Security Council denied request to intervene • Mid-May UN support granted but never materialised • November 1994: official international recognition of genocide by UN

  12. Justice and Reconciliation • Rwanda has pursued various strategies for justice and reconciliation • The International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) established by the UN in November 1994 • Rwanda’s national court system • ‘Gacaca’ traditional community court system • Amendments to Rwandan constitution • Establishment of large number of memorials within Rwanda

  13. Child refugees near Goma, Eastern Zaire (now DRC), July 1994

  14. Rwanda and the Great Congo War • April-June 1994: Genocide in Rwanda • June 1994: RPF take power in Rwanda, Hutus flee into Zaire. Rwanda's army enters eastern Zaire to pursue Hutu fighters • 1997: Laurent Kabila, backed by Rwanda, takes power in Kinshasa • 1998: Rwanda accuses Kabila of not acting against Hutu rebels and tries to topple him, sparking five years of conflict • 2003: Second Congo War officially ends but Hutu and Tutsi militias continue to clash in eastern DR Congo

  15. Rwandan Hutu refugees make their way to Mugunga refugee camp near Goma, Zaire, November 1996

  16. Rwanda and the Great Congo War • April-June 1994: Genocide in Rwanda • June 1994: RPF take power in Rwanda, Hutus flee into Zaire. Rwanda's army enters eastern Zaire to pursue Hutu fighters • 1997: Laurent Kabila, backed by Rwanda, takes power in Kinshasa • 1998: Rwanda accuses Kabila of not acting against Hutu rebels and tries to topple him, sparking five years of conflict • 2003: Second Congo War officially ends but Hutu and Tutsi militias continue to clash in eastern DR Congo

  17. Conclusion • Complex causes of the genocide • Colonialism and its impact on ethnicity • Post-colonial governance: authoritarian, persecution of Tutsi • Economic downturn of 1980s onwards • Tutsi ‘threat’ in Uganda and elsewhere, formation of RPF • Genocide took place within context of Rwandan civil war • Broader regional impacts • DRC • Burundi

More Related