Rwanda was a fragile country prior to the 1994 genocide. Before 1994, there was a definite separation between the two main ethnic groups in Rwanda: the Hutu and the Tutsi. Since the late 1800s, the Tutsi minority ruled over the country, creating animosity between themselves and the much larger Hutu majority (Melvern 8). The Tutsis gained a reputation of being a superior class, thanks to European explorers who encountered them in the 19th century. Because of their physical features, generally lighter skin, their tall, thin stature, and “angular noses”, they were believed to resemble the white explorers, which resulted in the explorers believing the Tutsis were more civilized than their Hutu counterparts (Melvern 8).
Europeans continued to be involved with Rwanda through the 19th century, and many European countries meddled in Rwandan affairs attempting to better the society by telling them how to govern the country and create certain policies. Belgium was particularly interested in Rwandan affairs, and was the primary reason that the division between Hutu and Tutsi was so important. In 1933, a census was organized by the Belgians in Rwanda to determine which citizens belonged to which ethnic group. Citizens were forced to claim status as either a Hutu or Tutsi, and this determination was made mainly on the “basis of physical appearance” (Melvern 11). Rwandan citizens were forced to carry identification cards from that point, a decision that would greatly affect who was killed during the Rwandan genocide in 1994 (Melvern 11).
In 1975, Juvenal Habyarimana came to power in Rwanda with a totalitarian regime. His party was deemed Mouvement Revolutionnaire National pour le Developpement (MRND or the National Revolutionary Movement for Development). At fir
st, Habyarimana brought peace and stability to Rwanda but the price was a lack of freedom for the people” (Melvern 24).
It was no secret that Habyarimana, his associates, and militia had plans to begin the extermination of Tutsis in Rwanda, yet there was little done on the part of the international community to stop it. A three year civil war between the Rwandan government and the mainly-Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) was another ongoing problem inthe country, and finally outside powers, including the United States and France, determined that
intervention was necessary. In 1993 the Arusha Accord, named for the Tanzanian city in which it was held, was signed by the government and the RPF and included numerous stipulations that called for a peaceful Rwanda (Chalk).
President Habyarimana's wife played an integral role in orchestrating the genocide. An influential woman in Rwanda, Agathe Habyarimana had a clo
se group of friends who were known as the Akazu (little house). This group terrorized Tutsis and were known to be extreme and violent. The Akazu believed that some of the outcomes of the Arusha Accord were detrimental to their perceived power share in Rwanda. The Akazu decided that the only way they could hold onto power was by convincing the Hutu population that the Tutsis were a threat, and that the only way for the Hutus to survive this alleged threat was for the extermination of the Tutsi population (Chalk).
Europeans continued to be involved with Rwanda through the 19th century, and many European countries meddled in Rwandan affairs attempting to better the society by telling them how to govern the country and create certain policies. Belgium was particularly interested in Rwandan affairs, and was the primary reason that the division between Hutu and Tutsi was so important. In 1933, a census was organized by the Belgians in Rwanda to determine which citizens belonged to which ethnic group. Citizens were forced to claim status as either a Hutu or Tutsi, and this determination was made mainly on the “basis of physical appearance” (Melvern 11). Rwandan citizens were forced to carry identification cards from that point, a decision that would greatly affect who was killed during the Rwandan genocide in 1994 (Melvern 11).
In 1975, Juvenal Habyarimana came to power in Rwanda with a totalitarian regime. His party was deemed Mouvement Revolutionnaire National pour le Developpement (MRND or the National Revolutionary Movement for Development). At fir
st, Habyarimana brought peace and stability to Rwanda but the price was a lack of freedom for the people” (Melvern 24).It was no secret that Habyarimana, his associates, and militia had plans to begin the extermination of Tutsis in Rwanda, yet there was little done on the part of the international community to stop it. A three year civil war between the Rwandan government and the mainly-Tutsi Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF) was another ongoing problem inthe country, and finally outside powers, including the United States and France, determined that
intervention was necessary. In 1993 the Arusha Accord, named for the Tanzanian city in which it was held, was signed by the government and the RPF and included numerous stipulations that called for a peaceful Rwanda (Chalk).
President Habyarimana's wife played an integral role in orchestrating the genocide. An influential woman in Rwanda, Agathe Habyarimana had a clo
se group of friends who were known as the Akazu (little house). This group terrorized Tutsis and were known to be extreme and violent. The Akazu believed that some of the outcomes of the Arusha Accord were detrimental to their perceived power share in Rwanda. The Akazu decided that the only way they could hold onto power was by convincing the Hutu population that the Tutsis were a threat, and that the only way for the Hutus to survive this alleged threat was for the extermination of the Tutsi population (Chalk). 
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