What Was Role of Radio Rwanda in Rwanda Genocide

 

Source: National Geographic 

The Rwandan genocide is one of the cruel genocide against the minority of  Rwanda which is the Tutsis. There are two main communities in Rwanda Hutus and Tutsis, like in India Hindu And Muslims are the two main communities. More than 1 million people were killed in this genocide, mainly the minorities were targeted in this genocide as well as some moderate Hutu and Twa who were against the genocide would also kill.

The genocide was started in Rwanda on 7th April and ends on 15 July 1994. During this period of 100 days of genocide, many innocents lost their lives and families.

The main reason behind this genocide is radio Rwanda which is a radio station in Rwanda country. This radio is spreading lies, hate, and propaganda against the minorities of Rwanda, and they are responsible for the Rwandan genocide.

Hutus and Tutsis hate each other 

About 85 percent population of Rwanda belongs to the Hutus community 10 percent are belongs to the tutus and the rest belong to other communities.

But Hutus most hate the Tutis community because Tutsis have ruled the country for a very long time and in 1959 Hutus have overthrown the Tutsis monarchy.

And Tutsis fled to neighboring countries including Uganda. Some Hutus extremists have spread propaganda against the Tutsi minority and Radio Rwanda is helping the extremist.

They have said to Hutus that Tutsis are their biggest enemy and they have to show them the Hutus.

Hutus extremists have said to Hutus that they have to keep their arms and various dangerous weapons in their homes to fight with Tutsis.

Radio Rwanda's impact on the Majority of Rwanda

The biggest weapon which is used to brainwash the Hutus community of Rwanda is the media of Rwanda and Radio Rwanda is the biggest radio spreading lies and propaganda against the Tutsis people.

The anchors and reporters of Radio Rwanda have been drunk when they came into the studio of Radio Rwanda.

They use dirt and abusive language about the Tutsi people and also they are brainwashing the Hutus people about Tutsis people.

And the result is that there is a scale of massacre or genocide of the Tutsis people. And those Hutus who were opposing this genocide were also killed by Hutu extremists.

Radio Rwanda is continuously spreading hate propaganda once genocide was started and the Government of Rwanda and the Police won’t take action against Radio Rwanda.

In fact, leaders of Rwanda mainly Hutus were in support of this genocide, and due to this, there is a civil war in Rwanda between the RPF(Rwanda Patriotic Front) and the Government of Rwanda.

Civil War in Rwanda between RPF and Government

In 1990, the Rwandan Patriotic Front(RPF), a rebel group composed mostly of Tutsi refugees, invaded the Rwandan Civil War. Over the course of the next three years, neither side was able to gain a decisive advantage. To end the civil war and maintain peace, the Rwandan Government led by Hutu President Juvenal Habyarimana signed the Arusha Accords with RPF on 4 August 1993.

 

While historians argue that genocide against the Tutsi had been planned for many years, the catalyst became Habyarimana’s assassination on 4 April 1994, creating a power vacuum and ending the peace accords. One of the main reasons behind the Rwandan genocide is the assassination of Hutu President Habyarimana. The majority of Hutu soldiers, police, and militia executed key Tutsi and moderate Hutu military and political soldiers.

The scale of the brutality of the genocide caused shock worldwide but no country or organization had interfered in this matter. Even United Nations had not interfered in this Rwandan genocide and 8 lakh people mostly Tutsis have killed in just 10 days of starting genocide. 

The official record says that 1 million people have been killed in this genocide but this is not true some reports say that more people have died than the official records.

Most of the victims are killed in their own villages or towns, some were killed by their own neighbors and fellow villagers. The RPF quickly resumed the civil war once the genocide started and captured all government territory ending the genocide and establishing their Government in Rwanda country.

Written By - Saurav Sharma