1.) How long did the genocide last?
2.) How many people were slaughtered during the genocide?
3.) What were the names of the two ethnic groups that were fighting during the genocide?
4.) What was the primary weapon of choice used by the Hutus besides a machine gun?
5.) Did the presence of UN forces help stop the violence? Why or why not?
6.) What was the name of the peace treaty signed in August 1993 by the Hutu government and the RPF?
7.) What triggered the start of the genocide?
8.) Which European country colonized Rwanda and began a system of favoring Tutsis over Hutus?
9.) What year did Rwanda achieve independence?
10.) What was the Hutu militia called?
11.) What was the name of the hotel in Kigali that housed hundreds of refugees?
12.) What happened on April 9, 1994 that led UN observers to know that the genocide was not about to end?
13.) On April 21, 1994 the UN cut its forces from 2,500 to what number?
14.) Were Tutsis in the refugee camps safe? Why?
15.) Ten years after the genocide, countries held memorials to mark the occasion. One term that was used was
NEVER AGAIN. Is a memorial sufficient to get the attention of average people? Do you think that having
memorials is enough in terms of stopping genocide? Why or why not?

1 Rwandan Genocide lasted more than 3 months in period between 7 April and 15 July 1994

Ex.:  

The conflicts between two groups started during 1993. Still, on April 6th of 1994 a president of Rwanda Juvénal Habyarimana died in a plane crash. A plane was shot down and members of Hutu blamed members of Tutsi tribes. Then in the period between April and July one of the greatest genocide in human history happened.

2 It is estimated that between eight-hundred thousand and one million men, women and children were massacred during Rwandan Genocide.

Ex.  

Between April and July of 1994. around 800 000 members or even more members of Tutsis tribe was killed by a members of Hutu majority. The exact number will never be revealed. After the government was changed, a process of retaliation started. Hundreds of thousands Hutu members were killed according to estimates.

3. The war crimes were perpetrated by Hutu extremist against Tutsi civilians.

Ex.:

As we have mentioned, Hutu were the members of majority in the country, while Tutsi were the minority. The conflict and genocide that happened was a part of a long animosity between these two groups that shaped the image of this country for a long period of time.

4. Perpetrators used primarily machetes as weapon to massacre civilians.

Ex.:  

The usage of machetes makes these horrifying crimes even more terrible. It shows how large the animosity was and how gruesome these crimes were. What makes it even worse is that the crimes happened only 25 years ago, in the period when everyone believed this type of things cannot happen.  

5. No. The UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR) was given mandate in Rwanda in October 1993 and although being alerted of the Hutu attack plans, UN did not authorize UNAMIR to act forcefully against it, but requested them to insist on peaceful talks as prevention of conflict.

Ex.:  

What worries the most is that UN didn't prevented the genocide although they had around 2 500 members in Rwanda at that moment. That is what even what former Secretary General of UN Ban Ki-moon once said. But how it all happened and why the question remains. And this is something that even UN had to cope with.

6. The Arusha Peace Agreement or The Arusha Accords

Ex.:

The Arusha Peace Agreement is a set of five protocols according to which the peace treaty in the country was signed. United States and France were involved in the signing of the agreement that ended the Civil War in this country, that basically lasted for three years. It mentioned also the question of refuges.  

7. The genocide was triggered in April 1994 when the Rwandan President Juvenal Habyarimana's plane was shot down above Kigali airport and the president died. Habyarimana was seen as Hutu leader.

Ex.:

As we have partially mentioned the assassination of president triggered the genocide, although it is more than obvious that Hutu side only searched for an excuse to start it. Still, the killing of Juvenal Habyarimana was used as an excuse by the Hutus when defending their stance during this conflict.

8. Belgium colonized Rwanda in 1916 and initiated a governing system by classifying people as per their ethnicity, which considered the Tutsis to be superior to the Hutus.

Ex.:

Even during this conflict Belgium had its own forces retread after 10 of its soldiers were killed. Belgium colonization of Africa is infamous because of the policies they introduced in the region. The best example for this is the Belgium Congo, where between 5 and 8 million people died during their rule.

9. Rwanda achieved independence after referendum held on 25 September 1961.

Ex.:

For years Rwanda was a colonial possession. Then in 1959 revolution started. The revolution led to creation of independent Rwanda. After referendum that was held in 1961, Rwanda was officially proclaimed as independent state in 1962.

10. The Interhamwe

Ex.:

The Interhamwe is a name for Hutu militia that is to be blamed for most of the atrocities committed during the genocide in Rwanda. They had the full support of the government which enabled them to commit crimes. The main problem was that in Rwanda on ID it was written if you were a member of Tutsi.

11. Hotel des Mille Collines

Ex.:

During the genocide exactly 1 268 people were taken as refuges in this hotel. It is one of the largest hotels in the whole country. This hotel later became an inspiration for a famous “Hotel Rwanda” movie, which is depicting the events that happened in Rwanda during genocide in 1994.

12. The RPF Forces proposed a joined force with UNAMIR, and after rejection they reportedly killed Sylvestre Bariyanga, former prefect of Ruhengeri, and his family.

Ex.:  

The killing of Sylvestre and his entire family, who was one the intellectual leader of Hutu, together with other killings of important persons that happened during April of 1994. was an obvious prove that unrests and atrocities will continue around the country. And it was like that, because the genocide just started.