To what extent can we say that the events of

April 7th - July 15th in Rwanda were an act of

Introduction:

The events in Rwanda from April 7th- July 15th, 1994 were the act of genocide on the
Tutsi people in Rwanda. This is dependent on the different stages of genocide used while
killing Tutsis, which are Dehumanisation, Extermination, and Polarization. The purpose of
this essay is to provide an outlook on how the events in Rwanda were indeed
premeditated genocide on the Tutsi people of Rwanda. This essay will provide evidence
and argue that the genocide was based on three stages of genocide which are the
Dehumanisation, Extermination, and Polarization of an ethnic group. The three points and
arguments I shall use to prove the act of genocide will be the active usage of
Dehumanisation, Extermination, and Polarization. Using the evidence and the acts the
Rwandan government committed at that time, it will provide a tangible to question
regarding the question ‘’was the act from April 7th- July 15th, 1994 in Rwanda’’ was
constituted a genocide?

Body 1:

The targeting of Tutsi civilians is one of the main pieces of evidence supporting events in
Rwanda as a genocide. Extremist Hutu groups started a campaign to exterminate the
Tutsi people with the help of propaganda from the government. A campaign of
propaganda, hate speech and create to violence. Hutu extremists referred to the Tutsis as
"inyenzi’’ or ‘’cockrocahes’’ that were deemed to be killed, this was broadcasted through
state-controlled radio stations. This broadcast viewed the Tutsi people as not deserving
of normal human dignity and human rights. This incited the start of mass killings, with
over 800,000 Tutsis killed in the span of 100 days. Tutsi were often denied basic human
rights, such as access to education, healthcare, and employment opportunities. They
were also exposed to harassment, intimidation, and discrimination on a daily basis just
because they were part of an ethnic group. Tutsi women were also raped in front of their
families, to show that the Tutsi ethnic group has no dignity and place in Rwanda. This
deliberate targeting of Tutsi civilians supports the argument that the events in Rwanda
were a indeed a genocide.
Body 2:

One of the signs of the premeditated genocide during this time was the use of
extermination of the Tutsi tribe. Over the course of 100 days 800,000 men, women, and
children were brutally murdered, just because they were part of a ethnic group. These
people were murdered using traditional weapons such as spears, machetes, and rocks.
One significant weapon of this genocide was the use of rape. Women and girls who were
Tutsi were raped. Rape was not only used to spread terror but to destroy the social fabric
of the Tutsi tribe. The children born from these acts were labeled ‘’children of the enemy’’
and outcasted their whole lives even after the genocide had stopped. Women that
survived these acts were rejected from society and degraded by their families. The use of
rape also had long-term effects such as PTSD and anxiety. Another significant factor that
shows signs of genocide is the lists containing names and addresses of Tutsis that were
compiled before the genocide. This list was targetting influential Tutsi families for
extermination. This list was mostly made up of local authorities, extremist groups, and
community informants. The use of rape and the list of Tutsis to be targeted whos the
nature of the genocide and how they planned and premeditated genocide. The use of
rape can be used to spread terror and also disregard the social value of Tutsi women. The
targeting of influential Tutsi families before the genocide started shows how eliminating
the top of the pyramid can re-shape and strike fear of those below the top of the pyramid.

Body 3:

They key factor and the biggest sign that this what indeed a genocdial campaign carried
out on the Tutsi ethnic group is the use of polarization. Heavy political manipulation and
prpoganda was used to incite hatred against the Tutsi population. Hutu Power figures like
President Juvénal Habyarimana and fellow colleagues, used public speeches to spread
hatred stating the Tutsis as ‘’cockroaches and snakes’’. Newspapers such as Kangura and
Impuruza, propagated anti Tutsi news throughout articles, cartoons, and editorials. They
displayed the Tutsis as traitors to the Republic of Rwanda, creating a atmopshere of
haters and fear amongst Hutus. One of the most key ideologies spread throughout
propaganda was the disparity in socio-economic status between the two ethnic groups.
False narratives such as ‘’Tutsis are a privileged and oppressive minority’’ were spread
throughout radio, newspaper, and word of the mouth. The propaganda was premeditated
for a month before the killings started, which fueled hatred and resentment amongst the
Hutu ethnic group on the basis of polarization amongst ethnic lines. The use of these
maniupilation tools shows a genocidal campaign set out by the Hutus .The polarazation
was fueled by divisnions amongst years, political manipulation, and socioeconomic
disparities between the two ethnic groups. These factors contributed to the hatred
between the Hutu and Tutsi communities, ultimately leading to the genocidal events of
1994.

Conclusion:
The use of dehumanisation, extermination, and polarization in the deliberate targeting of
Tutsi group, prove that the events in Rwanda from April 7th to July 15th, 1994, was indeed
a genocide against the Tutsi people. The use dehumanisation, extermination, and
polarization demonstrate the intention towards the Tutsi people. It is evident that the
events at this period was indeed a a gencodical campaign against the Tutsi people.