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The Role of the 1990-1993 Civil War as a Precursor to the 1994 Rwandan Genocide
Nora Aly
Student #10025622
Poli470
Words: 3,451

Introduction: Background of Rwanda
Ethnic distinctions and fragmentations, whether actual or perceived have proved to be the causes of several genocides throughout history; in the case of the Rwandan genocide, this was no exception. The Twa, the Hutu and the Tutsi were and continue to be the groups of people constituting Rwanda (Pearn J, 203). Tensions and conflicts with groups in Rwandan society, primarily with the Hutus and the Tutsis eventually led to the immensely destructive 1994 genocide of the Tutsi people as well as Hutu people perceived to be Tutsi sympathizers and supporters. The 1994 Rwandan Genocide, executed mainly by Hutu powers, resulted in approximately 10,000 deaths for 100 days which is the highest rate of killing seen throughout any known act in history (Cohen, J). Within the time period of the communal existence of the Hutus and the Tutsis, political struggle, rivalry, colonization, and civil war were all factors that assisted in leading to the tension that finally erupted into a brutal act of genocidal violence against all Tutsi people. Close examination and analysis of the civil war which occurred during 1990-1993 between the Hutus and the Tutsis, will be elaborated extensively to assist in accounting for the eruption of the genocide. Through a close, detailed analysis of the political, ethnic and socio-economic factors that led to Rwandan Civil war, a close connection between the civil war and the genocide can be established. The conflicts and factors that led to the occurrence of the 1990 Rwandan civil war intensified and shifted to the 1994 genocide; it can be inferred that the civil war played an immense role in leading to the historic 1994 Rwandan genocide.

The civil war in Rwanda had officially begun

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