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Rwanda Genocide Essay

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Rwanda Genocide Essay
The Rwandan Genocide was a massacre of an estimated 800,000 ethnic Tutsis and moderate Hutus over a 100-day period in 1994. The genocide was an example of ethnic cleansing, as the Hutu group attempted to kill or displace Rwanda 's Tutsi minority. Before the European occupation of Rwanda, the Tutsis and Hutus lived different lifestyles. Tutsis and Hutus were separate ethnic groups that lived peacefully with no discrimination or clashes between the groups. After World War 1, Belgium overtook Rwanda as a colony and established the Tutsis as the natural born leaders of the nation. The once peaceful lifestyle that existed in Rwanda was no more, as all Tutsis were given Identity cards to distinguish them from the Hutu subclass. During this period …show more content…
One effect includes the children of Rwanda suffering from the consequences of a conflict created exclusively by adults. There are an estimated 100,000 children that are now orphans because these children have lost their parents for various reasons – many were murdered during the genocide . Another effect of the war was the deaths in the war. Approximately two-thirds of the Rwanda 's Tutsi population died and many Hutus who opposed the genocide were also murdered. The mass murder caused 75% of the Tutsi population to die. Another effect was a change in government. The Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) was a rebellious group recognized by a group of Tutsi refugees living in Uganda as well as some Hutus. This mission of this group was to overthrow President Habyarimana and return to Rwanda. This group is attributed with ending the genocide through its continued efforts. Another effect was revenge. The United Nations established the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) after the end of the genocide to bash those charged with being involved in the massacre. In 1998, the ICTR issued sentences on the charge of genocide against the former mayor of a Rwandan town as well as the country 's former Prime Minister. Although negative effects came from the genocide, many positive effects did occur such as the Tutsis gaining power in government in

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