On April 6th, 1994, the President of Rwanda was killed when his plane was shot down by an unknown group. This incident led to the Rwandan genocide, where roughly 800,000 people from the minority ethnic group known as Tutsi were killed by the majority ethnic group known as the Hutu within the span of three months. An additional two million people fled Rwanda seeking refuge. The devastating events in Rwanda and the enormous swell of refugees fleeing Rwanda led to an international crisis, as the international community struggled to pick up the pieces left behind by the Hutu and Tutsi conflict. However, the conflicts between the Hutu's and Tutsi's have not always existed, but were created by the colonization of Rwanda by Belgium. The events leading up to the Rwandan genocide reinforce the idea that ethnicity is a created rather than inherent concept.
Before the Belgians colonized Rwanda, the only difference between the Hutu's and the Tutsi's were economic differences. The Tutsi's became cattle herders and were generally economically superior to the Hutu's. Ethnically, “‘the Tutsi and the Hutu are the same people. They are all people–large grouping or communities which go from seven regions of Cameroon to Uganda–all the way to South Africa, in the same culture’” (PBS). In 1920, when the Belgians instituted colonial rule in Rwanda, they established Tutsi people as more superior, removing all Hutu's from power, only allowing Tutsi's to receive higher education, and making people wear identification cards to distinguish them from one another. “By assuring a Tutsi monopoly of power, the Belgians set the stage for future conflict in Rwanda” (Human Rights Watch). The question remained, what distinguished a Tutsi from a Hutu? Because there were no real ethnic divisions between Hutu and Tutsi, these differences had to be made, and therefore people were designated into a specific group when they were born. After this formal distinction, it was found that only about 15 percent of the population was actually Tutsi, while 84 percent were Hutu. The Belgians raised the Tutsi status, wealth, and power, thereby creating an ethnic distinction between the Tutsi and Hutu where none previously existed and causing major strife between the two groups. When the Belgians decolonized Rwanda, they left behind a deep seated ethnic hatred of the Tutsi on part of the Hutu. This hatred led to the Rwandan genocide.
In class, we discussed the disintegration of Yugoslavia, and how important ethnicity and ethnic conflicts were during the war between Bosnians, Croats, and Serbs. We discussed the idea that ethnicity is mainly a social construct that is generally created and exacerbated for political gain. In Yugoslavia, while many people believe the conflict was between strong ethnic tensions within the country, the deeper roots of the conflict seems to have actually stemmed from political leaders creating ethnic tensions in order to gain the land and power that they wanted.Similarly, the Belgians purposefully created tensions between the Hutu and Tutsi because it was a way for them to better control inhabitants of Rwanda. If the inhabitants of a country are fighting internally then they are less likely to rise up against the colonial power ruling them. The Hutu's hatred of the Tutsi prevented the two groups from joining together to fight off Belgium. Not to mention the fact that the Tutsi's “welcomed these ideas about their superiority” because they embraced the opportunities to gain political power and wealth. The Tutsi's allowed for the creation of these ethnic differences because they benefited from them. On the other hand, the Hutu's resented the fact that the Tutsi were gaining wealth and power while they stayed poor and powerless. The ethnic division was essentially created because both groups wanted power, but only the Tutsi's were deemed privileged enough to access it.
While the Belgians created these tensions, they were also powerful enough to prevent any real violence from breaking out. However, when the Belgians left Rwanda, the Tutsi's were not strong enough to defend themselves or prevent a Hutu uprising. Therefore, in accordance with the political events that unfolded in both Rwanda and Yugoslavia, ethnicity is something that is created by people for political gain.
While the Belgians created these tensions, they were also powerful enough to prevent any real violence from breaking out. However, when the Belgians left Rwanda, the Tutsi's were not strong enough to defend themselves or prevent a Hutu uprising. Therefore, in accordance with the political events that unfolded in both Rwanda and Yugoslavia, ethnicity is something that is created by people for political gain.
I enjoyed the connection you made between the events in Rwanda and the situation in Yugoslavia. When I was reading your post, I kept thinking about the many different forces behind the Belgian government's decision to support the Tutsi's over the Hutu's. I wonder if the Belgians really made an arbitrary choice or if they took into account the precolonial socioeconomic statuses of both tribes? I also think that it was strategic for the Belgians to create this conflict to distract the media from their behavior towards the native population of Rwanda, especially with Belgium's past with King Leopold II and the Congo. I find it concerning, yet fascinating, how different political groups with different agendas use things like ethnicity and religion to further their own interests.
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