During the nineteenth century, the area in central Africa now known as Rwanda was occupied by three colonial powers: Germany, Belgium and France. Under colonial rule, a rift developed between the two dominant indigenous tribes, the Hutus and the Tutsis. The Belgian administrators favored the Tutsis and gave them preferences in jobs, educational opportunities and other privileges. Prior to Rwanda's independence, the Belgian administrators switched their support to the Hutus, who rebelled against the Tutsis. As a result, distrust, resentment and rivalry developed between the Hutus and the Tutsis. In 1962, Rwanda formally achieved independence. However, the distrust between the two tribes continued. In 1994, the population of Rwanda was approximately 7.8 million with 86% Hutu and 13% Tutsi.
In April 1994, President Habyarimana of Rwanda and President Ntaryamira of Burundi were killed in a plane crash. This triggered a civil war in Rwanda. The crash was blamed on the minority Tutsis by government security forces and militias. They embarked on a horrific campaign of genocide against the Tutsis. A systematic campaign of massacres was planned and condoned at the highest levels. The worst killings were carried out by the Hutu militias known as the MRND and the CDR. All known and suspected enemies of the government were targets. Victims were rounded up, driven into public buildings and brutally executed with clubs, machetes, grenades and firearms. Many of the killings occurred in churches where people had sought safety. By some accounts, more than 1 million people were killed in the atrocities. Despite their presence in the area, two UN peacekeeping missions (UNOMUR and UNAMIR) were unable to prevent the carnage.
Amnesty International estimates that when the mass killings started in April 1994 more than 300,000 people fled the country. Many were refugees from Burundi who had sought refuge in Rwanda from a wave of political violence only a few months earlier. As the government forces took control of the country, over 1 million more people were forced to flee, creating one of the worst refugee and human rights crises in the history of the United Nations. Conditions in the refugee camps became intolerable. More than 80,000 died of cholera in the Goma Camp in neighboring Zaire. The killing even extended into refugee camps as exiled government officials and security personnel murdered their rivals.
In response to the mass killings and genocide, the Security Council established an International Criminal Tribunal for Rwanda on November 8, 1994. Resolution 955 stated that the genocide and other systematic, widespread and flagrant violations of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda "constitute a threat to international peace and security." Accordingly, the Security Council established the International Tribunal to prosecute persons responsible for genocide and other serious violations of international humanitarian law committed in Rwanda or in surrounding states.
The work of the tribunal is divided between Kigali, Rwanda and Arusha, Tanzania. The prosecutors and investigators work out of Kigali while the administrative staff and court personnel are located in Arusha. The trials will be conducted in Arusha.
Despite its efforts, the tribunal has been mired in uncertainty and controversy. Administrative and bureaucratic problems have hampered the ability of the tribunal to function effectively. The tribunal has also suffered from a lack of funding and corruption among local personnel. As a result, trials have not begun despite the fact that over 20 people have been indicted and 13 are in custody. In fact, two trials that were set to begin fall 1996 have been postponed until 1997.
In addition to the International Criminal Tribunal, the Rwandan government is also conducting war crimes trials. Over 1,900 Rwandans, mostly Hutus, are accused of planning the genocide. In addition, 85,000 other Rwandans are jailed on other offenses that occurred between April and June 1994.
In March 1996, the mandate for the UNAMIR ended and the last peacekeepers departed in April.
In October 1996, renewed conflict in the Great Lakes region of Africa threatened thousands of refugees located in camps in Zaire and Tanzania. A multilateral peacekeeping force was proposed by Canada to protect the refugees and provide humanitarian assistance. The force was scaled down when the refugees returned to Rwanda. However, aid agencies, including the UNHCR and the International Red Cross continue to provide emergency assistance to refugees in the area.
