History and Citizenship

Definition of genocide

Activity 5.1 

Read the following words: 

(i) Homicide 

(ii) Suicide 

(iii) Patricide 

(iv) Infanticide 

1. Identify the most common thing with all of them. 

2. Use a dictionary to find out the meaning of each word.

The meaning of some words used in a language is found in their origin.

Activity 5.2

Use the internet to find the origin of the word ‘genocide’.

From your finding, it is clear that genocide is the killing of innocent people based on their tribe, political position, race or religion with the intention of completely wiping them out. Examples of genocides are:

 • Genocide against the Tutsi (Rwanda, 1994) 

• Genocide against the Jews, Holocaust (Germany, 1938-1945)

Fig 5.1: Human skulls and bones at Murambi Memorial Site of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi

Genocide and other mass crimes

Activity 5.3

1. Using information from the internet, differentiate between genocide and mass crimes. 

2. The table below shows major examples of crimes that have been committed in two    African countries.

Identify the one that describes:

 • Genocide 

• Mass crime

Features of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi

Activity 5.4

Munezero and Nshimiye have been friends from childhood. They even married from the same family in order to strengthen their friendship. Lately, their relationship is not good. 

1. State what may have gone wrong between them. 

2. What will suggest to you that Munezero’s and Nshimiye’s relationship is not good? Discuss. 

From your answers, you realise that: 

a) People do not develop hatred without reasons. 

b) The reasons for hatred may not be genuine. 

c) There are always signs that show that friends have become enemies.

Look again at the third point above (the one in italics). You realise that there are things (signs) that are unique to something. Those unique things are what we call features. Let us now look at the features of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

i. Massive killing and massacre of people

 During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, many people were killed. Over one million people perished in only 100 days. The killings were spear-headed by the state organs and paramilitary (Interahamwe militia).

 ii. Extreme forms of violence against innocent people

 It involved rape, abduction and torture of the innocent Tutsi by the Hutu extremists. It involved pounding babies in mortars, and confining and starving victims to death. It also involved burying victims alive, maiming and shooting them to death. 

iii. Organised to eliminate the Tutsi 

The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi was organised specifically to clear the Tutsi. The perpetrators killed the Tutsi elderly, men, women, youth and children. They went to the extent of cutting pregnant women to remove the foetus. They made sure that the foetus was dead. They also killed Hutu politicians opposed to genocide. 

iv. Isolation and lack of external interference 

During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, Rwanda was isolated by other countries and peace keeping agencies. For instance, there was the withdrawal of UN troops stationed in Rwanda. However, the UN Security Council ignored warnings of the impending massacre. The UN failed to empower the force, and did not issue a mandate to stop the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

v. Role of state machinery    

The government initiated, executed and coordinated the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. Government soldiers, local administration, public media, public services and security  forces were involved. They encouraged the Hutus extremists and militias to perpetrate the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

 vi. Popular participation 

Before and during the 1994 genocide against the Tutsi, the government carried out a wide propaganda to involve all the Hutu to exterminate the minority Tutsi which many Hutus accepted. They were briefed, trained and equipped with everything to wipe out the Tutsi.

Activity 5.5 

The following are characteristics of war crimes, mass crimes and genocide. All have been jumbled up. 

• Many people are killed. 

• Killing of hostages. 

• Killing of many people by one person or a very small group of people. 

• Deliberate destruction of property during war. 

• Dehumanisation of others and seeing them as animals or pests. 

• Depriving a prisoner of war a fair trial. 

• Killing with the intention to finish members of a tribe, race or religion 

• Mass killings targeted at the general public. 

Draw a table with four columns and eight rows. Use the example below        to fill in the table with the correct details.

Genocide and other mass crimes 

The Holocaust was conducted by a select killer force without attracting attention from the world. Genocide against the Tutsi was done in front of the whole world.  The United Nations understood and watched it happening. It never stepped forward to stop the killings. This was something that UN regretted later. 

During the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, over one million people perished. This happened in a period of one hundred days. This makes it the most brutal and fastest genocide in the world ever. Over six million people perished in the Holocaust in Germany over a period of 6-7 years. In countries such as Sudan, the massacre took over ten years.

In some countries such as Nigeria and Bosnia, people have been killed because of religion. In the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi, many people were killed because they belonged to the social category of the Tutsi.

Activity 5.6

Read the following confession from one of the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

“Sometimes when I’m asleep or when I’m just thinking, I see their images.               I remember their faces. And what hurts me is when I think about the relationships that we had with their parents, with their relatives. I remember that we didn’t have any problems. We were neighbours. And when I remember that I killed those innocent children, sometimes it hurts me so much. 

“But God has helped me to understand that what happened and I’ve always remembered to ask for forgiveness to God to continue forgiving me for what I did. 

“Remembering helps me to some extent because it keeps on reminding me that what we did was wrong. And I’m sure that can never happen again. All the images that come into my mind make me feel that this can’t ever happen again.” 

Emmanuel Nyirimbuga 

Source: World Vision-Rwanda (blog) 

1. Explain what you learn from the confession. 

2. Find out, from elders in your Cell, how the perpetrators of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi have been dealt with by the government.

The 1948 Convention

This was a gathering of nations. It intended to prevent the occurrence of genocide or related acts in its member states after Holocaust. It was headed by the United Nations General Assembly. 

The convention was signed in Paris on 9th December 1948. It was made effective on 12th January 1951. 

During the 1948 Convention, many terms were agreed upon. 

Fig. 5.2: Delegates attending the 1948 Convention in Paris, France

Terms of the 1948 Convention

• The convention urged member states to prevent genocide and seriously punish anyone with the ideology. 

• The 1948 Convention legally defined genocide to include causing mental and bodily harm to a group of people. The definition also included the intent to destroy in whole or in part an entire ethnic group or religion. 

• It also stipulated that any act of genocide, be it directly or indirectly, shall be punishable. 

• It was agreed that persons charged with genocide shall be put to trial. Persons charged with genocide or any of the other acts associated with it, shall be tried by competent tribunal of the state in the territory  of which the act was committed or by such international penal tribunal as may have jurisdiction with respect to those contracting parties which shall have accepted its jurisdiction. 

• It was agreed that any disputes related to interpretation of genocide shall be solved by international courts of justice. 

Despite the ratification of the 1948 Convention, the UN did not prevent the Genocide against the Tutsi. The United Nations was present in Rwanda during the genocide. The United Nations understood and watched it happening. It never stepped forward to save the innocent murdered Tutsi.

The 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi could have been prevented. The rest of the world knew about it but did not want to get involved. The United States refused to send help, something that President Clinton regretted later.

A statute of the International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR) was created after the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. It was created on 8th November 1994 and had a series of resolutions. Among these resolutions, the Security Council condemned the systematic and widespread violations of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda. 

Aims of the ICTR 

1. It was determined to put an end to crimes against humanity. 

2. To take effective measures to bring to justice the persons who were responsible for the crimes. This was after determining that the situation in Rwanda constituted a threat to international peace and security. 

3. It was also to contribute to the process of national reconciliation and to the restoration and maintenance of peace. 

4. The tribunal was established for the purpose of prosecuting persons responsible for 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

5. It was also to prosecute people involved in other violations of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda. 

The ICTR was also responsible for prosecuting people charged with other violations committed in Rwanda’s neighbouring states, between 1st January 1994 and 31st December 1994. 

The Tribunal was officially closed on the 31st of December 2015. At the time of its closure, it had achieved the following results: 

• It had so far indicted more than 93 individuals. These are people it considered responsible for serious violations of Human Rights during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

• 93 individuals were indicted by ICTR, 61 sentenced, 14 acquitted, 10 referred to national jurisdiction for trial, 03 deceased prior to during trial, 03 fugitives referred to MICT (Mechanism for international criminal tribunal), 02 indictments withdrawn before trial. 

• It was the first to interpret the definition of genocide set forth in the 1948 Geneva Conventions. It was also the first international tribunal to deliver verdicts in relation to genocide against the Tutsi. 

• It was the first tribunal to hold members of the media responsible for broadcasts intended to inflame the public to commit acts of genocide. 

• By trying high-ranking leaders in Rwanda, the Tribunal demonstrated that impunity is unacceptable – not just locally, but also internationally.

• The Tribunal achieved fair and impartial trials in accordance with international standards of justice. 

• Trial of persons responsible for serious violations of the law was meant to contribute to the process of national reconciliation.  By conducting fair trials, listening to guilty pleas, combined with expressions of remorse, reconciliation has so far been achieved. 

• The ICTR was later replaced by MICT (Mechanism for international criminal tribunal.

Activity 5.7

Discuss the role that Gacaca courts played in promoting unity, reconciliation and justice.

                                                                      Important! 

Genocide is the killing of innocent people. It must be looked at as an enemy to economic growth and development of any nation. It makes people live in hatred and divisions based on tribe, race or religion. It also leads to destruction of the environment. Say NO to genocide.

Activity 5.8

With the help of your teacher, visit a nearby memorial site and find out the following: 

a) Causes of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

b)  The social, political and economic consequences of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi.

Revision questions

1. Define the term ‘genocide’.

 2. Describe the state of Rwanda during the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi. 

3. Explain how the government of national unity and reconciliation has attained development in the past two decades. 

4. Distinguish between the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi and other mass crimes. 

5. Examine the effects of the 1994 Genocide against the Tutsi on Rwanda.