Pre-Colonial Times

A group of hunter-gatherers named the Batwa were the first inhabitants of Rwanda, followed by the agricultural Bahutu, and the pastoral Batutsi. Since all three groups speak the same language, Kinyarwanda, historians speculate that economic orientation led to the main differences between them. By the end of the 16th century an advanced feudal system developed into a monarchy where those that were not of the ruling class (mostly pastoralists) were subjugated.

Colonial Times

Rwanda was first colonized by Germany in 1889. Following WWI the territory was placed under the Administration of Belgium. Under both colonial powers, the pre-colonial class divisions were exploited to ensure resource extraction while maintaining an indirect rule. Thus, Tutsis were placed in a majority of the administrative positions, which favored them as recipients of education. They made up the majority of the service class that carried out the colonial policies of forced labor and heavy taxes on the rest of the populace. As the system became monetized, and a growing middle class rose from the oppressed masses, colonial support began to swing in favor of the agricultural Bahutus.

Independence

In 1959 the ruling monarchy was abolished. As the groups of Tutsi loyal to the monarchy struggled to regain control many innocent civilians were killed and the early 1960s saw around 150,000 Rwandans flee to neighboring countries. In 1962 Rwanda obtained independence and elected its first President.

Post Independence

In 1973, Kayibanda was overthrown in a military coup by Juvenal Habyarimana. His ruling party, the MRND, began to face a strong challenge from a rebel army of mostly Tutsi refugees called the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) during late 1990. In response extremists within the MRND appealed to old ethnic divisions and spread fear among the populace. This sparked reprisals against many Tutsi civilians within Rwanda. International pressure forced negotiations and a peace agreement was signed at Arusha in 1993 that called for an end to conflict and transition to a power sharing government.

The Genocide

The United Nations Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) was sent to Rwanda under the command of Canadian Lt. General Romeo Dallaire to ensure smooth transition of the peace process that had been signed at Arusha. However, Hutu extremists resolved to undermine the peace process and rid themselves of the “Tutsi” threat for good through mass genocide. Hutu youth militias called interhamwe began training under the guise of serving as a defense against future attack. Many of these warning signs were ignored by the international community.

In early 1994 President Habyarimana was returning to Kigali from another peace conference in Arusha. His plane was shot down as it approached the Kigali airport. Within hours roadblocks were set up and killing began. Extremists within the government, army and national radio blamed the act on the Tutsi-dominated RPF and incited widespread massacres of Tutsis and Hutu moderates.

Tragically, the United Nations did little to stop the escalation of the event. In the three months that followed over 800 000 Rwandans were butchered and three million fled the country resulting in one of the worst humanitarian disasters since World War II.

In July, 1994 the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) took control of the capital and formed a government of national unity.

During the past thirteen years this new government has faced the significant challenge of picking up the pieces, dealing with the perpetrators, promoting reconciliation, and reanalyzing the whole system of Rwandan society.