Anthony+M.+-+ASI+-+FA09

=Genocide (Rwanda and Darfur)=

Rwandan History:
The nation and area of Rwanda was the last to be reached by the Europeans when they started colonizing Africa. The Tutsi and Hutu were the two major tribes of people in Rwanda. Even before the genocide, the Tutsi and Hutu people have been fighting. At the start of the European colonization the Tutsi overtook the Hutu people and their land, this is what spawned the hatred between the two groups. King Rwaburgirl led the take over and control of the Hutu's land and ruled an area almost as big as present day Rwanda. In the Tutsi-Hutu's land when Rwaburgirl was in control, The Tutsi were the upper class and herdsmen, while the Hutus were the lower class and made money and thrived by farming. When Rwaburgirl died, in 1894, the Germans began to colonize Rwanda. The turmoil of the king dying made it easy for the Germans to take over, and the nation is then called Ruanda-Urundi. In 1914, the Belgians move into Ruanda-Urundi and take over the nation. During this time, the Hutu were the workmen in the colony and the Tutsi were their supervisers. From 1933, eveyone in Ruanda-Urundi were given a racial identity card which told the Belgians if the people were Hutu, which were the majority, or the Tutsi, which were the minority. This distinction is said to be the major start of the discrimination and hate between the two ethinicities. In 1957 the Hutu began to prepare for a a confrontation which is based on the ethinicities of the two groups. The first major skirmish between the two racial groups happened when Tutsi authorities beat a Hutu tribesmen. The Hutu were outraged and begin to fight the Tutsi. During this time, many Tutsi flee the country. Later on, in 1962, the two segments of Rwanda (Ruanda and Urundi) seperate. After the split, Ruanda's spelling is changed to Rwanda and is a Republic type of government. Urundi becomes Burundi and is a monarchy. Conflict between the two nations soon begin. In 1963, hundreds of Tutsi militias come across the border into Rwanda. The militias got within 12 miles of the Rwandan capital before the Rwandan army defeats them. 14,000 Tutsis are killed within a matter of days. Another ruler, Habyarimana, comes into power of Rwanda. The massacre of 14,000 Tutsi drives most of the Tutsi to refugee camps on the border of neighbouring nations and Rwanda. This causes problems in other nations with the Tutsi and other nations try to drive them back into Rwanda. Rwanda rejects the Tutsi people. This leads to the form of Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF). The inital attack on Rwanda from the Tutsi in the RPF proves unsuccessful. This leads to even more conflict and leads the Hutu to coin the term "Hutu Power" which is supreme dominance of the Hutu over the Tutsi. In 1992, an allegedly false rumor spread over "Radio Rwanda" that the Tutsi had a massive plan to massacre the Hutu people. President Habyarimana's agreement to cease fire on the Tutsis causes even more attacks on the Tutsis from the Hutu. The treaty leads to Hutu extremeists outrage. In 1994, Hutu extremeists launch a missle that kills Habyarimana and the Burundian president. This eventually leads to the genocide of Tutsis by the Hutus. (History of Rwanda).

Darfur History:
Darfur is located in Sudan. It has been greatly influenced since early on by Egypt, which Sudan is located directly under. During the 1500's people called the Funj controlled much of Sudan. The Funj had a long rule with minor skirmishes with other tribal groups called Dinka, Shullik, Nuer, and Azande. Egyptians then conquered Sudan in 1874. In 1882, Britain also occupied Sudan and took over Sudan in 1898. They then ruled together, this peroid of time was known as the Anglo-Egyptian Sudan between 1898 to 1955. In 1953, Egypt and Britain granted Sudan self government and their independence was claimed Janurary 1st, 1956. Since then, Sudan has not had a very stable government. They have been ruled by parliamentary governments and military regimes. In 1983, Sudan instituted Islamic Law.This lead to civil war within the country which reasoning was different languages, religion, ethniciteis, and political views. The war mostly involved government forces and strong southern rebel militias. In 2004, The government of Sudan and SPLA. This ended the ongoing cival and stopped the death of 2 million people. The treaty didn't last for long. When Garang's, a vice-president chosen to symbolize the new power-sharing government, helicopter was shot down riots broke out. This would lead to the infamous genocide of Darfur. (Sudan: History).

Social Effects:
The social effects of genocide can be vast and dangerous. First and foremost, genocide can lead to the thought of superiority, or has been caused by the thought of superiority, of one race or ethnicity over the other. The thought of superioity of one ethnicity over another can lead to violent thoughts, acts, oppresions, and divisions of the supposedly inferior race. As we have seen in both of these genocides, The Genocide of Rwanda and the Genocide of Darfur, they have lead to exiles, divisions, opressions, segregation, and slavery of one race and eventually the unjust murders of millions of people. More directly, it has affected many of the country's children. It has left many of the children orphans and without relatives or parents to take care of them or their siblings. This leaves the eldest children to take care of their younger siblings at a very, very young age. Most of these children had seen their parents murdered and it has left them traumatized.

Economical Effects:
The economical effects of genocide can also shake a country a great deal and drive it deep into debt. For example, these genocides have led the country into poverty. With all the money being used to fight wars and to buy weapons, there is no money to go to building a better future for the country and the children of the country. Many schools have been torn down so children are getting no to very little education. Most hospitals have been rundown and are unable to treat victims of war crimes. This is because the government has no money to build up hospitals or even buy medicine to help control diseases which lead to many of the deaths in both of these countries. Many of each nation's natural resources have been ruined or stolen by the rebel groups of the genocide.

Political Effects:
Both the genocides have left the respective country's government in more or less, shambles. Both of these countries have unstable governments that the genocide has helped create along with other social issues. It is also harder to generate money for the nation now that they have been through a genocide, and are still going through it and dealing with the genocide's effects today. Now that most of the money generated goes towards the war, it is hard to put any money towards the country's government and making things more organized. Throughout the genocide and wars and because of them, the countries have been through many different leaders and shifts and changes in power when one race overthrows the other.

Solution to Genocide:
The are two good solutions to the genocide of the Rwandans and the people of Darfur. First and foremost, both countries need to establsih a better and more stable government. If they people of the countries establish a strong central government, they can then overcome the coruptness of the current government and put the rebel groups out of commission. They could use force if needed, or try to agree upon and draw up a peace treaty. Another solution, which may be harder to do, is try and end the discrimination between the two opposing ethnicities. Enforce strict laws against racism which will make people think twice before committing an act of hate towards the other race.