Rwanda

Whilst some of the group chose to spend the day trekking golden monkeys, I opted for an adventure to Rwanda, a country with such horrific history that many of you would’ve been alive for.

The journey in was blissful, views of the Ugandan volcano, Motewatu basking in the morning sunlight. From the Rwandan border, faces became even friendlier, waves abundant, many locals out for walks, or riding many kilos worth of goods on their bikes. I arrived into Rwanda ignorant of its past but knowing they have one of significance, my coming here one big history lesson, our hours spent at the Genoicide museum sad, to put simply.

The germans arrived into Rwanda in 1896-1915 following world war 1, and they didn’t again get independence until 1962, a celebratory time that also came with what would become one of the worst genoicdes in the worlds modern history. Whist there were 18 different clans in Rwanda, there were three socioeconomical classifications of Hutu, Tutsi and Twa, in 1930, the Belgians who were now prominent in and around the country and added ID cards to identify these 3 classifications, at the time 84% were Hutu whilst 15% Tutsi and the remaining Twa, Tutsi being described as the ‘alien race’ using physical features to distinguish from the more ‘Indigenous’ Hutu.

In 1959 king Mutara III Rudahigwa, the king of Rwanda at the time died, then the first massacre was organised by the Belgian colonialists to ‘ethnic cleanse’ Rwanda (in more words of less - get rid of the Tutsi’s). During 1959-1973 700,000 Titian’s were exiled, with refugees prevented from returning, but some wanting to fight creating the Rwandan Patriotic Front, eventually invading Rwanda and creating the civil war that followed, resulting in the internal displacement of thousands of Rwandans held in refugee camps. During this time, In 1961 elections were held and the first governments prime minister was a party for the emancipation of the Hutu, Tutsis were continued to be resettled to seperate them from the Hutu’s (the superior race). When the coffee industry collapsed following the civil war in 1986 the Hutu could tighten their grip on power and there began the multiple small-scaled massacres between 1990 up to 1994.

What happens next confuses me, the french governments impact, or lack of ultimately contributed to what is now known as the 1996 Genocide. Rwandan president habyarinana’s regime to kill off Tutsis was supported by the French government, whilst Radio stations were made to justify Tutsi killings population were conditioned to accept the plan, in 1990 the Hutu Ten Commandments were established, creating punishments and laws for Hutu’s that sided with Tutsi neighbours or friends, traitors would be exiled. This year was when Tutsi men and women began to be jailed and tortured, and began to leave, an early indication of what was to come.

When the world leaders began to hear word of the planned apocalypse, cease fire was apparently negotiated in 1992 meaning Rwanda was to have a transitional government leading to a democratically elected government, to input this cease fire the French were asked to leave and a neutral force was deployed to continue minimising the tension.

This didn’t happen. Instead Ndahindurwa, leader and instigator of this deathly plan striked a $12million deal with the French for armed resources. Jean Pierre found out about the plan and was to tell world leaders, but soon disappeared. When rwandas president at the time, Juvénal Habyarimana’s plane was shot down one day in 1994, the genoicde was instant.

The events of the genoicide that year were horrific, words can’t explain the hurt and anguish felt across the country, and world, that year.

Roadblocks were set up, houses searches, death lists published and innocent people began to be slaughtered in their own homes. Starting in kigali, the countries capital but quickly spreading, neighbours began turning on each other, whilst parents were forced to kill their own children and children forced to kill others. The Hutu’s mutilated victims before killing them, tendons cut to prevent running off, clubbed, staked, thrown into pits alive and trampled to death, some were 20 bodies deep.

Over a million people died over the course of the next 3 years, tens of thousands injured, everyone mentally affected.

Looting began, chaos erupted, homes were demolished, businesses destroyed and belongings stolen.

Of the survivors, there were an estimated 300,000 orphans, 85,00 children became heads of households to younger siblings, cousins and neighbours. The devastating effects of this year on my generation is still being felt today, trauma fills the air.  As well as the thousands of widows, many families were totally wiped with no documents of  deaths, streets were littered with corpses, dogs began eating flesh of their owners, the images of those days are prominent in my mind when I think of privilege.

Rwanda was dead, the Hutu’s had control of the country, staff and foreign workers left, left friends behind to try save themselves, anyone who was seen as helping or working with the Tutsis were killed, maliciously.

Many months and millions of deaths later, the Rwandan Patriotic Front moved in attempt to gain control and stop the genocide.

This is when foreign troops stepped in, but only then, to move out and protect the killers themselves. The number of foreign troops used to evacuate the perpetrators involved in the genocide would have been enough to stop it in the first place, the protection of the killers it seemed was more important than that of those being killed.

Other than this final ploy to “assist” the country, there was no other international response. The United Nations remained quiet whilst all first world countries refused to send troops or aid in to help. France though, played an active role in training the armed forces who created the genocide. They were allies, the $12 million deal solidified the genocide, made it easier, albeit it probably would have happened anyways. Most non government organisations left, out of fear, other than Red Cross.

When the genocide ended, chaos was still prominent. Perpetrators moved out to avoid capture by RPF troops and Hutu’s fled in fear of revenge, soon there were over 2 million refugees  in neighbouring countries, two thirds of Rwanda was misplaced, family search boards were placed to search for survivors. Yet, somehow reconciliation had to happen.

Theodette, a year 10 student in 1997, soon after the devastation of the genocide became a leader when her class was asked to seperate Tutsis and Hutus but she led the way and refused “We are all Rwandan’s”. Her classroom was bombed, she lost a leg and her classmates but survived and continued to fight for safety and freedom.

In the years following, still today, women continue to die from sexually transmitted diseases received when being raped during 1996, killers are still being prosecuted but many remain free and ask for forgiveness, with Rwandan’s nature, they give willingly, prisons would be too crowded if everyone was jailed. 80% of Rwandan children at the time witnessed or experienced a death amongst their friends or family, some are still too scared to leave the country or show they are Tutsi.

Large crowded burials under stadiums, bomb sights or churches, even 20 years later were moved to memorial sights where families, and ourselves can come and pay tribute their loved ones, although the million people that died in the 1996 genocide could never be accounted for.

“To see survivors lives changing, that’s what brings the hope for tomorrow.” - a survivor child of the genocide.

From our visit to the genocide museum, a beautifully displayed building with 3 chambers, 1 for the 1994 genocide, 1 commemorating other world genocides, and 1 for the children lost in Rwanda during the 1994 genocide. It’s free entry and supported by many international organisations.

A somber drive from here to our lunch spot, Hotel Rwanda, the movie depicting how people used to come here for refuge. Everyone was welcomed by the Hutu owner and today it hosts many national conferences and visitors alike.

To learn and appreciate the country’s hardship was the main reason first my visit, but otherwise Rwanda is a beautiful country. It’s known as the Switzerland of Africa, its rolling hills, high altitude and greenery is unmatched, although I wouldn’t say it resembles Switzerland! The views from above the capital city of Kigali mesmerising, the city large with homes of all types. Seeing Rwanda today, after only 28 years since destruction was inspiring, they’ve rebuilt considerably, with the help of many NGO’s and international support (about time), and they’re now considered a very stable African country. A major reason to visit Rwanda is its gorilla trek, we would be doing ours in Uganda, after we finally found our way back into the country after a long border crossing in the rain and falling down a ditch.