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Rwanda’s Sad Past

Apart from the fertile lands, the coffee plantations, the history of its past kings and the wars, Rwanda stands as the witness for one of the biggest genocide known to humanity. A genocide in which more than one million civilians died. Even after 12 years, the remains of the genocide still makes the people of Rwanda shiver with fear.

Looking at the past or Rwanda. The massacre started in the year 1959 wit the assassination of King Mutara III Charles. Since then almost in a regular manner, the people of the Batutsi were killed by the Bahutu tribe people. In the 1970’s, 1980’s, and 1990’s the killings of the Batutsi tribe became more common.. The major massacre was still to come.

The year 1994 had seen the biggest genocide in the history of Rwanda. The whole world shook with the terror. Between the months April 1994 and July 1994, over one million Rwandese people were killed. Mainly the Batutsi and some of the Bahute people were killed.

The genocide started on April 6th 1994 when the President Habyarimana was assassinated and his flight was shot down before landing in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda. The assassin remained unclear. Most of them claim the Bahutu people for the killing while few say that the Batutsi team were the people who assasined the president with the help of Belgian mercenaries. In the next 3 months over one million. Rwandese people were

killed in massacre. Thousands of civilians were killed in the massacre. The RPF (Rwandan patriotic front) continued to advance into the capital and occupied the north south and the western parts by June.

The war ended on July 4th 1994 when the RPF entered the capital of Kigali. As a result of the war about 2 million Bahutu’s fled to the neibouring countries fearing the Batutsi’s. Most of them fled to Tanzania, Uganda and Burundi. Most of them have returned since, although some still stayed back in the Republic of CONGO.

Rwanda is today a peaceful country. Still some people are struggling with the effects of the deadly disaster. A ceremony was held in Kigali, the capital city of Rwanda in the year 2004 a tribute to the 10th anniversary. Many Delgates from all over attended the ceremony. Today Rwanda is showing rapid signs of Development. But still the terror of the genocide can be seen in the eyes of the Rwandese.