Genocide in AfricaTS – Demonstrate an understanding of concepts (C-5)

Goals:

Understand what genocide is

Discuss why genocide happens

Using Rwanda as an example of genocide…

Who fought?

What the were the causes?

What was the international reaction?

What is genocide?Plan to destroy, in whole or in part, a

national, ethnic, racial or religious group. – by killing

– causing bodily or mental harm

– with conditions designed to bring about its destruction

– prevent births within a group

– removing children from a group

Reading Packet – Review

What is genocide?

What are frequent starting points? Cultural aspects?

What is “scapegoating”?

What are bystanders?

RWANDA

Key Questions:

Who fought?

What were the causes?

What was the world’s reaction?

TS – Demonstrate an understanding of concepts (C-5)

Rwanda Ethnic Tension Flares into Genocide

• Hutus and Tutsis?

• What was the long-term cause of the genocide? What was the spark?

• How were messages spread about the genocide?

• Where did the refugees flee?

Ethnic tension in Rwanda is nothing new. There have been always been disagreements between the majority Hutus and minority Tutsis, but the animosity between them grew substantially since the colonial period.

The two ethnic groups are actually very similar - they speak the same language, inhabit the same areas and follow the same traditions. But when the Belgian colonists arrived in 1916, they saw the two groups as distinct entities, and even produced identity cards classifying people according to their ethnicity.

It was by means of identity cards and papers the people identified as either Hutu or Tutsi. Rwanda has since abolished all reference to ethnicity on identity cards.

When Rwanda gained independence (1962) the Belgians left the power to the Hutus. After years of serving as the lower class many Hutus sought revenge against the minority Tutsis with oppression and ethnic clashes – including an armed Tutsi rebellion.

Civil War between the mainly Hutu government and the Tutsi-led rebel RPF (Rwandan Patriotic Front).

End to Civil War?

• The Arusha Accords signed on August 4, 1993, by the government of Rwanda and the rebel Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF), under mediation, to end a three-year Rwandan Civil War– Weakened Hutu hold on Gov.’t, allowed Tutsi

participation– Upset Hutu extremists

• United Nations Security Council established the United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) to assist in the supervision of implementation of the Arusha Accords.

UN Peacekeeping mission

An informant tells Gen. Dallaire (UNAMIR)

about Hutu extremists' extermination plans. But Kofi Annan's U.N. peacekeeping office is skeptical; Annan tells Dallaire not to raid arms caches and avoid using any force. The extremists are now confident the U.N. won't stand in their way.

The spark that set off the genocide:

On April 6th the Rwanda president’s (Juvénal Habyarimana, a Hutu) plane is shot down – killing him and the president of Burundi. Hutu militias began killing hours after the President’s death. Dallaire again requests U.N. guidance and again is told to avoid armed conflict. Responsibility was never determined.

Minority Tutsis were the main targets of the genocide. Hutu extremists carried out the killings.

History on the Big Screen: Hotel Rwanda

Paul is a hotel manager and a Hutu who must protect his wife and neighbors who are Tutsis.

The UN Forces are ineffective against the anti-Tutsi militiaGen Bizimungo

Hotel Rwanda is based on real life events that occurred during the 1994 Rwandan Genocide.

The movie captures the story of Paul Rusesabagina, who is the manager of the Hotel des Mille Collines in Kigali, the capital of Rwanda.

Paul, a moderate Hutu, has tried to build up connections by appeasing and bribing key people in the Hutu military and interhamwe. Paul uses his position and connections to maintain a sense of normality and to protect his family and, ultimately, many Tutsi refugees.

Paul is married to a Tutsi, Tatiana, and has friends, relatives, and neighbors who are Tutsi.

History on the Big Screen: Hotel Rwanda

Throughout the film…

Write down themes that are represented

AND

How those themes are represented

Genocide in General Rwanda Genocide

Feel free to write down notes in between the scenes.

RPF – Rwandan Patriotic Front. A mostly Tutsi rebel group led in 1994 by Paul Kagame, now president of Rwanda.

Hutu state radio – dehumanized the Tutsi using phrases such as “cockroaches.”

Tutsis were the targets of the genocide. Not allowed to be buried.

Hutu Rwandan President Habyarimana plane was shot down. He was flying to sign a peace agreement that the UN had brokered.

Interahamwe: Carried out much of the killing. Hutu militia were formed in late 1990 as a youth wing of an extremist Rwandan Hutu political party

Identity cards

Day 9 – 72,000 dead

Day 77 – 616,000 dead

Day 18 – 144,000 dead

Day 8 – 64,000 dead

Day 100 – 800,000 dead

Day 14 – 112,000 dead

Day 1 – 8,000 dead

Day 12 – 100,000 dead

Day 49 – 392,000 dead

Day 25 – 200,000 dead

Day 4 – 32,000 dead

At what point will the USA get involved?

By mid-July the RPF captures the capital (Kigali)

Genocide over when RPF in full control.

The Hutu government and thousands of refugees flee to Zaire (DR Congo) and other neighboring countries.

Former United Nations Secretary General Kofi Annan has said he could and should have done more to stop the genocide in Rwanda .

Rwandan President Paul Kagame has accused the international community of deliberately failing to prevent the genocide in the country 10 years ago.

Kagame: Rwandan lives "regarded as insignificant"

Annan headed UN peacekeepers at the time of 1994 genocide

Why Not?

• Some people have said that since Hutu moderates were killed in the early stages that some countries believed the conflict to be more of a civil war rather than a genocide.

• Other research has shown that the world powers realized it was a genocide but that they didn't want to pay for the needed supplies and personnel to stop it.

Despite knowledge of what was happening in Rwanda at the time of the genocide, the US and other countries elected not to act.Kigali, Rwanda, 1998 -- U.S. President Bill Clinton told Rwandans that the international community had failed to act to prevent the country's genocide in 1994, and he urged measures to prevent such a tragedy from happening again.

Life sentence for Rwanda genocide leaderBBC NewsMonday, 6 December, 1999

The international war crimes tribunal in Tanzania has convicted a former leader of the Interahamwe militia that led the 1994 genocide in Rwanda, sentencing him to life imprisonment.

Former businessman and vice-president of the Interahamwe militia, Georges Rutaganda, 41, was found guilty on one count of genocide, one count of crimes against humanity and one count of murder by the UN's International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) in Arusha, Tanzania.

"The accused deliberately participated in the crimes and has not shown the slightest remorse," said Judge Laity Kama, announcing the verdict.

Rutaganda is the sixth Rwandan to be convicted of genocide by the Tanzania-based tribunal and the fourth to be sentenced to life in prison - the maximum sentence allowed under court rules.

The Interahamwe militia were formed in late 1990 as a youth wing of an extremist Rwandan Hutu political party. They received military training and, during the 1994 genocide, tried to wipe out the minority Tutsi population using clubs and machetes.

They also incited ordinary Hutus to do the same.

United Nations court sentences former Rwandan chief to 30 yearsDigital JournalMay 17, 2011

Former Rwandan Major General Augustin Bizimungu (59), along with three other top-level officials, were convicted for ordering killings during the 1994 genocide. 800,000 Tutsi men, women and children were killed in 100 days.

Former Rwandan Maj. Gen. Augustin Bizimungu directed police and soldiers under his command to murder tens of thousands of innocent Tutsi civilians who sought safety in churches and hospitals.

Bizimungu’s men were also ordered to coerce public officials and civilians to join in the search for killing Tutsi residents. If they did not participate in the hunt then they were punished and/or killed.

In 2002, the former army chief was arrested and was transferred to the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda based in the northern region of Tanzania. Two years later, Bizimungu was charged with the killings in which he later denied and pleaded not guilty. On Tuesday, the former Major General was sentenced to 30 years in prison after he was found guilty of six counts, including violations of the Geneva Conventions and rape.

Innocence Gisanura also narrowly escaped death from Hutu militia. He is left with scars across his head as a constant reminder.

Survivors

About two million Rwandans fled to neighboring countries to escape during and after the 1994 genocide. In the chaos that ensued many children became separated from their parents. Six-year old Genevieve Mahuro fled to DR Congo in 1994, accompanied by her mother, three sisters and two brothers. Her father stayed behind.

"As soon as we reached DR Congo some armed people fired on us and we all scattered, each looking for safety. I didn't see my family again," she said. "I thought everybody was dead and had no hope of seeing anyone again." After finding herself separated from her family and living in the forest for a week, Genevieve was found by a religious organization and taken to a foster family.

The Red Cross has since helped reunite her with her family.

Sixteen-year-old Marie-Chantali Wingarire was one of 10 children, but now there are only two. Three brothers were killed in 1994 and another five died in 1997 during attacks by insurgents.

Out of 1,357 students at Kanzenze school, 378 are orphans. Muhorakeye - whose name means "always happy" - lost her father in the genocide.

3 : 2 : 1In reference to genocide and Rwanda. Write down…

3 – Things you should know about Rwanda

2 – Lessons we can learn from Rwanda

1 – Statement you would make if you could address the world in 1994

What does heroism mean to you?

Do you have any heroes? Who are they?

Does our society have heroes? Explain.

Stand up, hand up, find ONE (1) partner and discuss

Now, go find ONE (1) new partner and discuss the following:

Is Paul Rusesabagina a hero? Were there other heroes?

Who were the villains?

•General Bizimungu?

•Georges Rutaganda and the interahamwe?

Were there other villains?

Committing a Wrongful Act

Most would agree, that it is wrong to act in immoral and evil ways.

Or, rather, one might say that we have a moral obligation or duty not to commit evil.

In general, stealing is wrong. We have a moral obligation not to steal. Agreed?

Cooperating with a Wrongful Act

Do we have a moral obligation not to cooperate with evil?

“Non-cooperation with evil is as much a moral duty as is cooperation with good.” -- Gandhi and MLK

•Do you agree?

If a friend asks you to walk in front of her so that she might steal food from the cafeteria, and you agree, have you acted immorally? Keep in mind, you are not doing the stealing, your friend is.

Did Paul Rusesabagina act immorally by bribing General Bizimungu and Georges Rutaganda (a leader of the interahamwe)?

Turning a Blind Eye to a Wrongful ActIf we see evil occurring and we do not act in some way to stop it, have we also acted immorally?

Did the UN, the US, Belgium, France, Italy, (or other organizations / countries that could have intervened in 1994 Rwanda) act immorally by not intervening? By turning a blind eye, did they commit evil?

If you see someone stealing food from the cafeteria, and you ignore what is happening, are you culpable (guilty, responsible) to some extent?

Should you be censured if you are not in a hurry and, without offering help, you choose to walk past someone who has dropped his books?

Are you blameworthy if see a peer throwing trash on the ground and choose not to say anything?

What responsibility do you have to tell your friend, who never takes her tray back after lunch, to do so?

This is illuminated in the finale of the sitcom Seinfeld. Let’s watch.

Did Seinfeld and friends act immorally by turning a blind eye?

History on the Big Screen: Hotel Rwanda

Write a speech to address the global community in reference to the conflict in Rwanda.

From the perspective of…

Paul

Gen Dallaire

US News Reporter

• In Rwanda nobody was interested. So we have to fight two problems. The tragedy as such and the indifference of the international community.“

• "In such circumstances, if you don't at least speak out clearly, you are participating [in] the genocide. If you just shut up when you see what you see … -- morally, ethically you cannot shut up. It's a responsibility to talk, to speak out."

Reflections: What have we learned?

Write a paragraph reaction (with a title) to the crisis in Rwanda.

It can be about anything but should reflect on…

•what we have learned

•what we can learn

BBC Overview of the killings, narrated by news reports

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/africa/2004/rwanda/default.stm