3. What makes the events in Rwanda a genocide and not simply ethnic cleansing? Be sure to tie in lecture material.

Answer 1

The events in Rwanda are categorized as a genocide rather than simply ethnic cleansing due to several key factors outlined in lecture material.

First, the intentional and systematic nature of the violence distinguishes it as a genocide. The Hutu-led government, along with various militia groups, meticulously planned and executed the mass killings of Tutsis and moderate Hutus. The genocide was not a spontaneous outburst of violence but a well-organized campaign, with the government distributing weapons, publicly broadcasting hate propaganda, and creating lists of Tutsi individuals and moderate Hutus to be eliminated. The deliberate planning and orchestration of the violence indicate a clear intent to eradicate a particular group.

Second, the scale and duration of the violence support the classification of the events as a genocide. The Rwandan genocide lasted for approximately 100 days and resulted in the deaths of an estimated 800,000 individuals, mostly Tutsis. The sheer number of people killed in such a short period demonstrates the extent of the violence and the systematic effort to exterminate a significant portion of the Tutsi population. Ethnic cleansing typically involves the forced displacement or expulsion of people, but the Rwandan genocide went far beyond that, aiming to eradicate the targeted group completely.

Moreover, the destruction of social, cultural, and religious structures further evidences the genocidal nature of the events. During the genocide, Tutsi houses, businesses, and places of worship were systematically destroyed. Tutsi women were subjected to mass , which aimed to not only physically annihilate individuals but also to destroy their cultural identity and future generations. This destruction goes beyond the motive of ethnic cleansing, which typically seeks to remove one group from a particular area rather than annihilating its existence.

Lastly, the international legal framework also plays a role in defining the events in Rwanda as a genocide. The United Nations Convention on the Prevention and Punishment of the Crime of Genocide defines genocide as any of the following acts committed with intent to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial, or religious group: killing members of the group, causing serious bodily or mental harm to members of the group, deliberately inflicting conditions of life calculated to bring about its physical destruction, imposing measures intended to prevent births within the group, and forcibly transferring children of the group to another group. The actions perpetrated during the Rwandan genocide align closely with this definition and solidify its classification as genocide under international law.

In conclusion, the events in Rwanda qualify as a genocide rather than simply ethnic cleansing based on the intentional and systematic nature of the violence, the scale and duration of the killings, the destruction of social and cultural structures, and the adherence to the international legal definition of genocide.