The Killing Fields of Rwanda
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ISSN 1321-1560 Copyright Commonwealth of Australia 1994 Except to the extent of the uses permitted under the CopF*ghtAct 1968, no part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means including information storage and retrieval system, without the prior written consent of the Department of the Parliamentary Library, other than by Members of the Australian Parliament in the course of their official duties. Published by the Department of the Parliamentary Lib orei ra This paper has been prepared for general ~tributionto embers of the Australian Parliament. Readers outside the Parliament are reminded that this is not an Australian Government document, but a paper prepared by the author and published by the Parliamentary Research Service to contribute to consideration of the issues by Senators and Members. The views expressed in this Paper are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of the Research Service and are not to be attributed to the Department of the Parliamentary Library. ....................................... 1 ....................................... I ................................. ent ct ....................... lS.....*OO.......................O. ......... ................................ is ...................... 8 ....................................... 10 This Current Issues Brief provides the reader with a basic outline of Rwanda's location, geography, economy, people and history, and aims to provide a context in which to understand the human catastrophe that has engulfed this central African nation. The paper outlines United Nations (UN) efforts to establish a mediatory presence in Rwanda and notes other international reactions to the civil war. Particular note is taken of the UN-US disagreement over the nature of the proposed UN mission. The final sections examine international responses to the crisis, particularly the reaction of the Australian Government to UN requests for military assistance in Rwanda. Background' The Republic of Rwanda gained its independence from Belgium in 1962. It is a land-locked nation in Central Africa, sandwiched between Zaire in the west, Tanzania in the east, Burundi in the south and Uganda in the north. The nation has a land area of 26 338 square kilometres and has an estimated population of 7.53 million.2 The population is divided into two major groups: the Hutu (85-40 percent of the population) and the Tutsi (9-14 percent). There is also a small community of Twa (a pygmoid people). Rwanda is a unitary republic, with political power concentrated in the riational capital, Kigali. The current Rwandan constitution was enacted in June 1991 and is derived from both Belgian law and the earlier Rwandan constitution of 1978. Economically, the World Bank estimates that Rwanda's GDP grew at an annual average of 4.7 percent in real terms between 1970-1980 and 0.6 percent between 1980-1991. Per capita GNP was estimated to be $US270 in 1991, placing Rwanda on the list of the fifteen poorest nations in the world. Neighbouring Burundi shares a similar level of poverty. Rwanda's principal exports in 1992 were coffee and tea. 1, The principal source for this section is the Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU), Country Profile: Rwanda, Burundi, 1993-94,London, 1993. 2. This population figure is based upon a mid-1992 estimate. The latest census figure of 7.16 million was recorded in August 1991, Economist Intelligence Unit (EIU),Country Profile: Rwanda, Burundi, 1993-94, London, 1993: 2. hermore, Brussels made a number of changes to native society in the colonies during the mid-1920s9which served to increase Tutsi political power and Hutu resentment at the local level to an unprecedented e~tent.~A rld War, Belgium was pressured by the United ce democracy to the colonies. Dissatisfied with the Belgian progress to this end, it was decided to send a UN mission there in 1957, significantly raising the level of political reform. Relations between the Hutu and Tutsi tribes have been strained since the Tutsi arrived in the area and gradually subjugated t forcing them into a lord-vassal relationship. Tutsi power was the possession of cattle and a more advanced knowledge of The Tutsi remained the dominant group in Rwanda until Despite the traditional tensions, the cultures o 0th tribes have been largely integrated, with the Tutsi adopting the ntu (Hutu) language and the Hutu kinship and class system deriving from Tutsi culture. ent et The current conflict in Rwanda is neither an isolated nor totally unexpected incident. Wanda's strife is als profoundly intertwined with the racial viole e in neighbouring urundi and the south estern region of Uganda.* uring colonial times the minority Tutsi, wh. ositions of power in Rwanda and Burun society, were favoure at the expense of the utu people. In the 3, Economist Intelligence Unit: 3. Dowden, 'Hate erupts in land of vol 11 Apr. 1994: for Burundi.6 Tutsi-Hutu violence continue throughout the 1960s and 1970s. AR~EH~TUwon local elections in 1960 leading to further vi0 In late 1961 the Hutu-based PARMEHUTU party toppled the monarchy, a power shift legitimised by the 1963 legislative elections. The influx of Tutsi refugees from ndi during the 1960 had the effect of increasing th rnment's anti-Tutsi policies. Though formed by a prominent ~~UTUdid not favour all Hutu but mainly those hengeri in the nor er of Hutu lords (leaders 1 groupings) had the new adrninist would return their ancestral land ot occur, violence flared again and in 1973 Major General Habyarimana (a Hutu lord) staged a successful coup, forming a new government and banning . In 1975 President Habyarimana established the olutionnaire National pour le Developpernent (MRND) blished civilian rule under one-party government. In a legislature, although true power continued to reside with the Central Cornrnitt ee . In response to growing domestic and international pressure, the Rwandan President allowed the creation of other political parties in 1991, Dozens emerged but the most ~rnportantof these was the emocratique Republica draws its political an association with the former EHUTU. In mid- 92, after considerable political tu sengiraremye) emerged as Prim 5, John Che East african crisis: ~wandaand Burundi spill blood', Fron tlin% 994: 57, 60. cono~istIntelligence Unit: 4. s also threatene r location). This nched a new offensiv gali and was only halt country and others congregated in overcrowded camps, surviving on international aid. The Tanzanian government and the rganisation of African Unity (OAU) mediated in peace negotiations an 4 August 1993 the Arusha Peace agreement was signed between wandan government and the RPF. The agreement was backed b ndi, Kenya, Uganda, and Zaire. It was also supported by the U number of observer states, namely Belgium, France, ~ermanyand the U agreement allowed for the RPF to enter an enlar government, for the two opposin refugees to return prior to elections in 1994. The is FVhile 'the roots of the present conflict in wanda can be traced to the upheavals of the 1960~',~*the catalys to the current round of violence was the deaths of the Rwandan and urundi presidents in an aircraft crash on 6 April 1994, It has been rep Juvenal Habyarimana of Rwanda and President of Burundi were returning with a comprehensive peac by renegade troops o 7. Many of the rebels actually served with the Ugandan amy while in exile but deserted in order to continue fighting in Rwanda. See: Jeffrey Bartholet and Ruth Marshall, 'A RRbellion in the Heart of Africa', ~ew~wee~16 Oct. 1990: 85. 8. Robert Block, 'Caught in tribal crossfire', Canberra mes, 9 Apr. 1994: 15. ha is the only solution', 15 Apr. 1994: 6. 10. John Cherian: 60. In the afterrnath of th 96 hours of the ceasefire, the establishment of a tribunal to investigate and bring the killers to justice, delivery of humanitarian aid and international monitoring of the arrangement. '* irnultaneously with the unfoldi eset by violence as Tutsi an planned coup in urundi was uncovered on 25 April but a bloodbath on a scale of that in Rwanda was only averted by the decision of some elements in the army not to support a planned coup? F ceasefire in Rwanda appears to have failed from the outset, continued almost unabated and by 1 ay rebels had close oops fled in the face of the RPF advance??' er neither into negotiations nor a truce with government forces until his troops had gained control over gali and other overnment ~trongholds. ternent it was re rted that the rebels occupi 11. John ~he~an:60. ull troops out of Rwanda', 13. Aidan Hartley, 'Rwandan ceasefire r. 1994: 5. 14. Burundi bloodbath fears end coup bi er', were within 8 lometres of the ~apita1.l~Two or three days subsequent to this announcement, RPF forces were engaged in heavy fighting in areas to the southwest and northwest of Kigali. By 14 May media reports from Rwanda were claiming that the occupied all of northern Rwanda with the exception of a 1 of the road leading into Kigali? As at the end of May the RPF has occupied more than two-thirds of the country, including most of Kigali, and appear set to take the headquarters of the Rwanda government at Gitarama. l9 Six weeks after the present war began, the death toll has been put at anywhere between 250 000 and 500 000 - the majority of them Tutsi according to the United Nations. In all likelihood, however, the true death toll may never be known. Responses to the The United Nations The United Nations deployed an observer force to Rwanda in June 1993 to 'monitor the Ugandamwanda border [and] verify non-transit of military* assistance to Rwanda'.20 This involvement in what became known as the UN Observer Mission Ugandamwanda (UNOMUR) was located on the Rwandamgandan border. A second operation was subsequently established in Kigali in October 1993 to monitor the August 1993 peace agreement: it became known as the UN Assistance Mission for Rwanda (UNAMIR).