Rwanda

Rwanda is broadly divided in two two identifiable ethnic groups. Hutus make up about 85% of the population with the Tutsis making up most of the remaining 15%. Historically Tutsis were politically dominant.

Some historians have suggested that this strict tribal divide only appeared after the area became dominated by the Kingdom of Belgium. Attempts to blame Europeans for ethnic divides in the rest of the world are common today.

In 1959 Hutus took over the nation in a revolution following many years of violence between the groups. At this time Rwanda was a single territory with neighbouring Burundi. Rwanda became independent in 1960 with a Hutu majority who dominated politically. While low level conflict between the two groups continued from the 1960s this increased in severity significantly after 1990. In 1990 the Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) which had formed among exiled Tutsis invaded Rwanda. This conflict continued until 1993. On 6 April 1994 a plane carrying the presidents of Rwanda and Burundi, both Hutus, was shot down. Following this the government of Rwanda directed militia groups to take revenge on the Tutsi minority. Thus began the Rwanda genocide which is generally considered to have lasted from 7 April to 15 July 1994.

Genocide

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