The Rwanda Genocide Tolerance Essay

Submitted By santivazquez11
Words: 494
Pages: 2

Santiago Vazquez 8th Grade English
Mr. Romanelli Tolerance Web Quest

In Rwanda there are two groups of people, the Hutu and the Tutsis. The people who owned all of the cattle where known to be Tutsi, and everyone else was a Hutu. When Germany colonized Rwanda in 1894 those two terms started to take a more racial use. Since the Tutsi looked more like European people, light skinned, taller and more built, they gave them more roles of responsibility. After World War I Germany lost control over Rwanda, thus the Belgians took control of them. The Belgians gave the Tutsis all of the leadership positions even though 10% of the population of Rwanda was Tutsi and the rest were Hutu. This ended up making the Hutu very angry. When Rwanda was having a hard time gaining independence from Belgium, the Hutu started a revolution. Because of this, Belgium decided to give all of the leadership positions to the Hutu. This ended up making the Tutsis angry. In 1994 the President of Rwanda died in a plane because some one had shot a missile at it. In 1993 this president had signed the Arusha Accord, which made the Hutu weaker in power so Tutsis could have leadership positions again. This made the Hutu very angry. When the President died, the Hutu politicians took the opportunity and took control of the government. Once they had control they blamed the Tutsis for the Assassination and started killing them. One key role in the Rwanda Genocide is Theoneste Bagsora. Theoneste was a former Army coronel, and one of the highest profile members of Rwanda’s Hutu elite. He was persecuted for being one of the people that were behind the starting of the Rwanda Genocide. Thankfully he was found in 2008 and has been sentenced for life. Another key role in the Rwanda Genocide is the President. Juvénal Habyarimana died on an