Rwanda: Colonization, Genocide and Aftermath

Vocabulary flashcards covering Rwanda’s colonial history, ethnic groups, genocide events, key actors, UN involvement and justice mechanisms.

Hutu

Largest ethnic group in Rwanda; farmers who made up the political majority after independence.

Tutsi

Historically cattle-herding minority in Rwanda; targeted during the 1994 genocide.

German Colonization of Rwanda

Period from the 1890s to 1916 when Germany ruled Rwanda indirectly through Tutsi elites.

Belgian Colonization of Rwanda

Mandate rule (1916-1962) that deepened Hutu-Tutsi divisions using identity cards and quotas.

Quota System (Rwanda)

Belgian-era policy limiting Hutu access to schools and jobs, retained under Habyarimana.

Juvenal Habyarimana

Hutu general who seized power in 1973 and ruled Rwanda as a dictator until 1994.

Hutu Power

Extremist ideology calling for Hutu supremacy and elimination of Tutsis.

Interahamwe

Hutu Power youth militia that spearheaded killings during the 1994 genocide.

Rwandan Patriotic Front (RPF)

Exiled Tutsi-led rebel movement that invaded Rwanda in 1990 and stopped the genocide in 1994.

Arusha Accords (1993)

Peace agreement mandating a power-sharing government between RPF and Habyarimana’s regime.

UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR)

1993-1996 UN peacekeeping force tasked with overseeing the Arusha Accords.

Rwandan Genocide (1994)

100-day mass slaughter of about 800,000 Tutsis and moderate Hutus.

RTLM (Radio Télévision Libre des Mille Collines)

Extremist radio station that broadcast anti-Tutsi hate propaganda and killing instructions.

Genocide (legal definition)

Intentional acts to destroy, in whole or in part, a national, ethnic, racial or religious group.

International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda (ICTR)

UN court (1994-2015) that tried high-level perpetrators; 93 indicted, 61 convicted.

Gacaca Courts

Community-based tribunals (2007-2012) that tried over a million genocide cases for local justice.

Paul Kagame

Former RPF commander and Rwanda’s president since 2000, known for a zero-tolerance stance on ethnic politics.

Responsibility to Protect (R2P)

UN doctrine that obliges states to protect populations from genocide, war crimes, ethnic cleansing and crimes against humanity.

United Nations Security Council (UNSC)

UN body responsible for international peace and security; can authorize force and peacekeeping.

United Nations General Assembly (UNGA)

Deliberative body where all UN member states debate and pass non-binding resolutions.

Veto Powers

Right of the five permanent UNSC members (USA, UK, France, Russia, China) to block any substantive resolution.

Operation Turquoise

French-led 1994 mission creating “safe zones” in southwestern Rwanda; criticized for aiding Hutu escape.

Akazu

“Little house” inner circle around Agathe Habyarimana that planned and financed the genocide.

Moderate Hutu

Hutus who opposed extremist ideology and were also targeted and killed during the genocide.

Propaganda Techniques

Methods such as repetition, personal pronouns and identifying a common enemy to manipulate opinion.

Bandwagon Technique

Propaganda tactic urging individuals to join because “everyone” else is participating.

Identifying a Common Enemy

Strategy that unites a population by directing anger toward an outside or internal foe.

Sexual Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)

Use of rape and sexual assault as a weapon of war, formally recognised by the ICTR.

Post-Genocide Statistics (Rwanda)

800,000 killed, 250-500k women raped, 75k orphans, 120k suspects detained.

Colonial Economic Foundations (Rwanda)

Belgian focus on coffee and tea exports, cash crops that shaped Rwanda’s post-colonial economy.

Landlocked Country

Nation without direct access to the sea; Rwanda relies on neighbours’ ports for trade.

Neighbouring Countries of Rwanda

Uganda (north), Tanzania (east), Burundi (south), Democratic Republic of Congo (west).

"Zero Tutsis" Plan

Extremist goal propagated by Hutu Power to eliminate all Tutsis from Rwanda.

100 Days

Duration between 6 April and mid-July 1994 during which the genocide occurred.

800,000 Killed

Common estimate of Tutsi and moderate Hutu deaths during the genocide.

Tutsi Exile Militias

Armed groups formed by Tutsi refugees after 1959, eventually coalescing into the RPF.